The Kashmir ‘Intifada’

Ishaal Zehra

India is making desperate efforts to deflect the international attention from situation in Occupied Kashmir. The attack in Uri sector (Indian occupied Kashmir) and its aftermath is the same old “play victim card” drama by India. Even what is more interesting is that despite Indian army Intel and security failures leading to the death of 17 soldiers, Indians are absolute certain about attackers origin? Not over-reacting, but after every terror incident in India, everyone knows what is coming next. The Indian accusations against Pakistan have become as clichéd as Bollywood scripts. It’s easy to put a blame on Pakistan and its army but history is evident they could never prove it with concrete evidence. I mean, come on “toothpaste” cannot be an evidence for indicting a sovereign and a responsible nuclear state in act of terrorism.

Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, while addressing at UNGA called upon the permanent members of the Security Council to fulfill their responsibility with regard to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is one of the oldest internationally recognized unresolved disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council. “Burhan Wani, the young leader murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger for freedom in their hearts”, he added.

The word ‘intifada’ was very aptly used for the Kashmiri freedom strugglers. ‘Intifada’ is an Arabic word literally meaning "tremor", "shivering", "shuddering” and is a key concept in contemporary Arabic usage referring to a legitimate uprising against oppression. The word ‘Intifada’ became famous after the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The first intifada lasted from 1987 to 1993, and the second began in 2000. Today, Kashmir is getting similar to Palestinian struggle in so many ways. The blood-spattered Israeli oppression of Palestinian land is very much equaling to the Indian oppression in Kashmir.

In the backdrop of PM Sharif’s meetings with the world leaders on resolution of Kashmir issue, the OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani, while chairing a meeting of OIC contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of the 71st session of UN General Assembly in New York, has expressed deep concern over the grave situation in the occupied Kashmir and called for an immediate cessation of Indian oppression and atrocities. The OIC, founded in 1969, is a 57-member organisation which traditionally supports the right of self determination.

Expressing their solidarity with the Kashmiri people, the OIC group reaffirmed their resolve to remain the voice of the Kashmiris' at the international stage. Indian law-enforcement officials are long guilty of extrajudicial killings, torture, rape and enforced disappearances in Indian occupied Kashmir. While Pakistan is committed to peacefully resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council, India should also honour its human rights obligations as well as its commitments to the Kashmiri people.

The Pakistani PM at UNGA called upon the international community and the UN to live up to their promise of the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people. The fact remains that the non resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a constant source of tension and instability in the region and a threat to international peace and security. The PM also said that Pakistan wants peace with India. "We have gone the extra mile to achieve this, repeatedly offering a dialogue to address all outstanding issues", he said while addressing the United Nations General Assembly.

Official sources however said that they have noted the strong support which Turkey and Azerbaijan extended to Pakistan during the meet that called for “cessation of violence” in Kashmir.

Obviously India would have never allowed Pakistan’s narrative on Kashmir go uncontested at the UN, and she did what she had to. The Uri attack was so timely planned and the after act drama was so strongly put up by the Indian media that it overshadowed the legitimate issue of plight of Kashmiris at Indian hands. Furthering her agenda, India has also launched two of her stooge American lawmakers to introduce a bill in the US House of Representatives designating Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism, on the plea that it was time the US stopped paying the country for its "betrayal". The 'Pakistan State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act (HR 6069)’ has been moved by Sen. Ted Poe (Republican) and Sen. Dana Rohrabacher (Democrat). Yes, India can lobby in the US. India has money and we all know how system works in the US. However, from India's investment only few congressmen and senators can be bought and this will produce no results as Pakistan is also immune to India’s wicked tactics now and play her cards well.