NO Military Solution to Kashmir Conflict
Chicago, Illinois; July 8, 2017.“Kashmir is a large, resourceful, cultured and multicultural nation. It needsno Indian interference. It fulfills all the parameters of a viable sovereignstate as per United Nations charter. To deny that right of sovereignty tomillions of people of Kashmir is a travesty of justice. It violates the letterand intent of the UN charter. By refusing to implement the UN Security Councilresolutions, India violates its international obligation. These resolutionsdemand cessation of the military actions, demilitarization and allowing thepeople of Kashmir to decide their future through an unfettered referendum, or plebisciteunder UN supervision” said Dr. Ghulam N. Mir, President, World KashmirAwareness Forum during 55th Annual Convention of the Islamic Societyof North America (ISNA). The ISNA Conventions is the past were attended byinternational dignitaries like President Jimmy Carter and President Khatami ofIran. (The full text of Dr. Mir’s speech is attached towards the end of thispress release.)
Dr. Mir added that Indianoccupation of Kashmir is by far the most consequential political blunder theIndian government has made. India never anticipated its catastrophicconsequences. And to this day they seem to be blind to the outcome of theterrible tragedy of their making. A wanton blunder so monumental, that it hasled to three major wars. And there is more than a fair chance a much moredevastating war in future will follow. Only, the next time around, it may notbe a conventional war but a nuclear holocaust, a war of mutual annihilation, awar of mutually assured destruction.
“So, what are the Kashmiris underoccupation thinking? What do they want? What would they settle for by way of asolution to their future? All you have to do is to read the news stories fromKashmir. Read New York Times, BBC News and Guardian, just to name a few. Youwill get an idea. 70 years on, Indian is nowhere close to silencing the voicesand screams for freedom. It is not even close. Kashmiris have no choice but tohang tough, keep making the sacrifices, keep hope for the best solution toemerge. There is no military solution to Kashmir issue. Indian forces have toleave; Kashmir has to be united to make it whole again. Peace cannot come untilKashmir is demilitarized and a plebiscite held under UN supervision,” Dr. Mirexplained.
Professor (Dr.) ImtiazKhan, President, Kashmiri American Council described the historical facts about Kashmir. The people of Kashmir, hesaid were promised by both India and Pakistan with the firm support of theworld powers to be given the right of self-determination so as to allow them tochoose whether they want to go to India, or Pakistan or remain independent.These international agreements were never fulfilled until today.
Dr. Khanenumerated the prevailing draconian laws, like Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) which has given the total impunity to the Indian army in Kashmir. AnIndian soldier can shoot to kill at will and he will not be accountable to anybody or any agency for any prosecution. Khan added that the Hurriyat leadershave always impressed upon the people of Kashmir to express their dissent in apeaceful manner. The presence of millions of people on the streets of Kashmircannot be termed as extremists or terrorist. The massive peaceful demonstrationhas been reflection of the indigenous nature of the Kashmiri resistancemovement.
“The worldpowers need to intervene in setting a stage for the resolution of Kashmirbefore the two nuclear states of India and Pakistan indulge in fullfledged war which will be a monumental disaster that will engulf not onlythe region but large part of the world,” Dr. Khan concluded.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai,Secretary General of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum and Emcee of the eventsaid that Kashmirdispute was one of the oldest issues pending on the agenda of the UnitedNations Security Council. Its occupation by India has been left undisturbed bythe international community, even though its validity has never been accepted.At no stage, however, have the people of Jammu and Kashmir shown themselves tobe reconciled to India’s occupation. There is only one way of just andhonorable peace, Fai added, the way chalked out in the international agreementsthat the future will be decided by the people of Kashmir. Only the exertion ofthe necessary moral pressure by the world powers, particular the United Stateswill lead the parties to that way.
Dr. M. A. Dhar showed ashort video about the atrocities being committed by the Indian army on thecivilian population of Kashmir. He said every day,unspeakable atrocities occur at the hands of India's army of occupation. Heemphasized that conceptually, the whole issue of Kashmir is a violation ofhuman rights, non-implementation of U.N. resolutions, the forcible occupationof Kashmir and defiance of international commitments. Dr. Dhar stressed that itis time to mitigate the sufferings of the Kashmiri people, who had been pledgedU.N.-sponsored plebiscite, which has been denied to them by India.