KU seminar on Youm e Istehsal: the Kashmir crisis

There is a dire need to adopt and promote a national narrative according to the ground realities, facts, and figures, and need of the hour regarding the long pending Kashmir issue. This might be the right time to revise the policies on the matter so the world can once again see what is happening in occupied Kashmir.

All relevant international forums have been silent over the issue for the last seven decades or more, and that is why we need to play our role with more responsibility and determination. These views were expressed by the renowned scholar Professor Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed on Monday. He was addressing a seminar on Youm-e-Istehsal: the Kashmir crisis organized by the Students Advisor Office of the University of Karachi at the KU Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium.

He mentioned that Vietnam also fought its war in the European and American universities by sharing the facts about the war. Recently we have witnessed that the Palestine cause is also very much highlighted in the western campuses, and as a result, several European countries have also changed their stance on the Palestine issue, that’s why there is a need to raise a voice in the universities of the whole world to show them how human rights are being violated by the Indian governments in Kashmiri valleys.

Dr Jaffar expressed that with the help of different communication technologies, the voice of oppressed Kashmiri people can be spread around the world. He said that the world will listen to us when we become a strong economic country.

“Our problem is that the prices of our food items are fixed by the IMF and we have to give them guarantees from other countries to give us loans.”

He informed the audience that before revoking the special status of occupied Kashmir, the Modi-led government asked the tourists to leave the valley months ago, and dissolved the assembly, leaders were arrested, the internet was shut, and more forces and Hindus were sent to different locations of Indian occupied Kashmir, but our government was unaware about Indian government’s move and intention.

On this occasion, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that politicians and parliamentarians must unite to raise the voice of Kashmir at the international level. He mentioned that the Kashmiri people deserve the right to self-determination.

He expressed that India abrogated Article 370 to turn the majority of Muslims into a minority by abolishing the special status of occupied Kashmir. Pakistan had many opportunities, especially after the 9/11 incident, where governments could have highlighted the issue of Kashmir at the global level, and might have had a chance to resolve it permanently as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people, but unfortunately, we missed all those opportunities and maybe we prioritized economic gains over our narrative and that is why the Kashmir issue has not been resolved till date.

The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi said that observing Youm-e-Istehsal against the Indian government’s illegal move to end the special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir is to record protest against the violation of UN and Security Council resolutions.

Another speaker, the former ambassador Jamil Ahmed Khan said that August 05 was one of the darkest days in human history when India launched a new offensive move in Kashmir and abrogated Article 370 from its constitution, ending the special status of Occupied Kashmir and making it formal.

He further said that the Indian government is seriously violating international laws and people have been deprived of a fair referendum for about eight decades and that is why the Kashmiri people are still unable to decide their future.

He noted that due to the failure of the UN and the world, the Kashmiri people decided to fight against the Indian forces but like the UN, the superpowers are also neglecting the Kashmir issue and prefer to remain silent on the human rights crisis.

A speaker, the former chairperson of the KU Department of Political Science Professor Tanveer Khalid said that the Indian government has abolished the special status of Occupied Kashmir to make it a regular state of India though in 1947 the then Indian government had agreed to keep the special status of Kashmir in their constitution. She observed that India is now no longer a secular state and no longer functioning as a democratic state due to violating many international laws.

She observed that it is the responsibility of the international community, Muslims worldwide, and Pakistan to morally and legally defend the rights of Kashmiris. She mentioned that New Delhi has so far been quite successfully isolated Pakistan at multilateral forums. We must counter India’s economic influence in the western world through a strong narrative.

The KU Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor Dr Shaista Tabasum said that Israel is violating human rights every day and involved genocide of Palestinians. She added that in several countries people have come out on the streets, but there is no action against the Israeli aggression and the decision-making forums are quite over the matter then how could we think that the Indian government would give the rights back to Kashmiri people? She mentioned that the people of Pakistan are with the Kashmiris and will continue to support them morally.