Latest news with #Kashmiris'
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
No peace in South Asia without Kashmir dispute resolution: APHC
ISLAMABAD: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Sunday said that clouds of war will remain hovering on the horizon of South Asia as long as the Kashmir dispute, the oldest one on the UN agenda is not resolved in the light of UN Security Council resolutions and in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC vice Chairman Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar in a statement in Srinagar terming the Kashmir dispute a major impediment to stability and progress in South Asia said that in order to avert the looming catastrophe, this issue must be resolved permanently on the basis of justice without any further delay. Gulzar said it is not only a significant bottleneck, hindering the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, but also has a catastrophic impact on the lives of ill-fated Kashmiris who have been subjected to violence for nearly eight decades. APHC vice chairman said that the Kashmir issue is an Apple of discord and a major source of tension, wars and political and economic instability. 'The present standoff between India and Pakistan has again proved that it is a volcano and, if neglected, may potentially lead to nuclear war in the region,' he warned. Terming just the resolution of this core issue a prerequisite, he said that the Kashmir issue is not a territorial or border dispute but a human issue relating to the well-being of millions of Kashmiris. Demanding justice for hapless Kashmiris, he warned that if this volatile issue is not resolved on the principle of justice, peace and stability will remain elusive. Advocating tripartite dialogue on Kashmir, he said Kashmiris are not warmongers but peaceful people, and they want a peaceful resolution to the issue. Reiterating that APHC' s principal stand, he impressed upon India and Pakistan to start meaningful, result-oriented, and time-bound dialogue and include Kashmiris' genuine leadership in the process to reach an honourable and permanent settlement. He also stressed the need for a conducive atmosphere for any dialogue process and impressed upon India to stop human rights violations, withdraw its troops, repeal all black laws, and release all political prisoners in Kashmir. While welcoming the offer for mediation from US President Donald Trump, UN secretary general Antonio Guthrie' s, Turkey, Iran, and other countries, Gulzar said that third-party mediation can lead to an amicable and just resolution of the dispute. He said that no occupation lasts forever Kashmiris' resilience will outlast India's repression as history is witness that empires fall, but the spirit of resistance survives. The APHC leader appealed to the international community to come forward, intervene, and implement UN resolutions on Kashmir for the permanent peace in the region.
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Unequivocal support to Kashmiris' struggle: AJK President extends gratitude to Azerbaijan
MIRPUR: Azad Jammu Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has expressed his profound gratitude to the people and the government of Azerbaijan for their steadfast support of Kashmiris' legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination. In an exclusive interview with Head of Media and Information Literacy Centre of Azerbaijan and Vice Rector of Tele-Radio Academy AZ Television Almaz Mahmood Nasibova at Jammu Kashmir House in the federal metropolis on Sunday, the AJK President expressed the optimism that Azerbaijan will continue to play its role to seek an early and amicable settlement of the lingering dispute in line with Kashmiris' wishes and aspirations. Terming India's imperialistic presence in the region as a threat to peace and stability in the region, Barrister Chaudhry said that India's illegal and forcible control over the territory poses an existential threat to Kashmiris, who he said have been fighting for the past several decades to achieve their birthright, guaranteed to them under multiple UNSC resolutions. 'The Kashmir issue is one of the unresolved issues pending on the UN agenda,' he said, adding that the lingering dispute has been the bone of contention between Pakistan and India. 'The threat of war will continue to loom over South Asia unless the Kashmir dispute is addressed in its historical perspective,' the president remarked. Barrister Chaudhry hailed Azerbaijan for its all-out support to Pakistan during the recent Pakistan-India tensions. He also praised the friendly countries, including the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, for their significant role in diffusing tension in the region and facilitating a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations. He said that India has miserably failed in its attempts aimed at tarnishing Pakistan's image at an international level under the guise of a false flag operation. He highlighted the Pakistan Army's significant contribution in defending the country's territorial sovereignty and delivering a crushing response to India, which he said has compelled the enemy to lick the dust and seek a ceasefire. He said that the people of Kashmir have welcomed US President Donald Trump's mediation offer. Describing Kashmiris as the main stakeholders in the Kashmir dispute, the president stressed holding tripartite talks and associating Kashmiri leadership in the decision-making process to find out a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. The recent military standoff between the two countries, he said, has proved it beyond any reasonable doubt that the Kashmir issue is a flashpoint between the two nuclear powers. 'Unless the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions, there can be no guarantee of lasting peace and security in South Asia,' he added. Given the volatile situation in the region, the president said that it was high time that the world community should come forward in a big way and play its much-needed role to help resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully. Responding to a query, Barrister Chaudhry said that the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir is higher than in the four provinces of Pakistan. He also underscored the Kashmiri women's role in the development of the society.
Mint
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Asaduddin Owaisi's advice to PM Modi, Amit Shah over protests in Kashmir against Pak: ‘Adopt Kashmiris'
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP and chief Asaduddin Owaisi has advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of taking advantage of the spontaneous protests in Kashmir against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, asking them to 'adopt Kashmiris'. Citing the protests, Asaduddin Owaisi said they showed there was no support for Pakistan left in the region. In an interview to PTI, Asaduddin Owaisi said PM Modi and Amit Shah should confront Pakistan and adopt Kashmiris. He said, 'In fact, it is a historic opportunity for the government, for Prime Minister Modi, for Home Minister Amit Shah. They should use this opportunity properly. You should definitely confront Pakistan but you should also adopt Kashmiris." Asaduddin Owaisi said that after the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, 'there was maatam [mourning] in every Kashmiri household'. When asked to explain what he meant by 'adopt Kashmiris' remark, the AIMIM leader said the Central government should ensure there are no attacks on Kashmiris. He said they should ensure that there are no human rights abuses there. 'All this should be done. We shouldn't lose this opportunity. Don't leave the Kashmiris to their fate. Adopt them,' Asaduddin Owaisi said. He said it is the unwritten ideology of Pakistan to foment instability and communal divide in India and to thwart its economic growth. And it has been doing so since it sent tribal invaders into Jammu and Kashmir after India's independence. 'You can never trust Pakistan as long as the Pakistani deep state, Pakistani ISI, Pakistani military's objective is to destabilise Bharat,' the AIMIM leader said. On April 22, Pakistan-linked terrorists gunned down 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Political parties, religious leaders and social organisations condemned the horrific attack and held protests in many parts of J-K following the terror strike.
The Star
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
India-Pakistan tension: Disturbing escalation
Tense times: Pakistan's army tanks rolling down during a military exercise in the Jhelum district of Pakistan after India triggered a water emergency in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir territory. — Inter Services Public Relations/AP THE war clouds have thickened with India's rising bellicosity. The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in occupied Kashmir and the massacre of some two dozen tourists seem to have provided the excuse India's Modi government has been looking for to escalate its warmongering. Jingoism has reached new heights. Rational voices are being drowned in a cacophony of insanity. The Line of Control is already heating up with the exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops. New Delhi is building a case for its aggression by trying to blame Pakistan for the Pahalgam terrorist attack. But it has failed to substantiate its allegation. The major reason for India's vehemence is that the terror attack has shattered the narrative that the situation in occupied Kashmir is completely normal and that the people have accepted New Delhi's decision to abrogate the held territory's autonomous status. The Modi government is not willing to accept its own intelligence failure. Some Indian analysts say that such a daring attack in one of the most protected areas could not be possible without local support for the militants. The fact is that even the use of brute force has failed to crush the Kashmiris' struggle for their right of self-determination. According to the New York Times, 'India has not officially identified any group as having carried out the massacre, and it has publicly presented little evidence to support its claim that Pakistan was behind it.' While Indian officials maintain that their investigation is still continuing, the Modi government has already implicated Pakistan in the terrorist attack. To back their assertion, according to international media reports citing officials, 'In the briefings to diplomats at the foreign ministry, Indian officials have described Pakistan's past patterns of support for terrorist groups... .' Interestingly, within hours of the terrorist attack, New Delhi announced a series of punitive actions against Pakistan. While addressing an election campaign in Bihar, the Indian prime minster warned of 'unimaginable punishment for the attackers and their backers'. It's apparent that the Modi government's war cry against Pakistan is an attempt to divert the world's attention from its own failure in the occupied territory. There are strong indications that India plans to launch military strikes on multiple targets despite the absence of any evidence of Pakistan being linked to the latest terrorist attack. Even a limited military strike by India could lead to a wider conflagration. The Indian calculation that military actions against Pakistan could be kept below the nuclear threshold is fallacious. It would be an extremely dangerous escalation in one of the world's most volatile regions. The two South Asian nations have been on the brink of conflict many times previously. But the situation today appears to be far more serious with the cessation of all diplomatic channels between the two countries. India's decision to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, which has survived three wars between the two countries, is ominous. Although it may not be possible to block the water flow, Pakistan sees India's reckless action as a 'declaration of war'. Islamabad has announced its own retaliatory actions. New Delhi seems to have forgotten the lesson of its 2019 air incursion and Pakistan's swift response that downed an Indian fighter plane. It was American diplomatic intervention that prevented the further escalation of a situation that could have gone completely out of control, with disastrous consequences for regional peace. Indian leaders in their hubris seem to forget the perils of military escalation in a highly combustible environment. The belief that war can produce quick results is extremely dangerous. It's much easier to start a war than to end it. However powerful a country may be, it cannot command the outcome. There are so many lessons to be learnt from various wars in recent history, which ended in humiliation even for the most powerful countries. One cannot help but agree with the words of an international diplomat that 'the more the conflict goes on, the more difficult it will be to have a diplomatic solution'. The illusion of achieving quick military success often leads to endless quagmires. It is particularly pertinent in the India-Pakistan case. The two countries have been locked in a forever war – overt as well as covert. They have long been blaming each other of fighting a proxy war. The slogans of punishing Pakistan or punishing India only close the door for the resolution of outstanding issues. What happened in Pahalgam must be condemned, but the tragedy should not be used for warmongering. There is also a lesson for Pakistan, where, too, there is no shortage of warmongers flaunting the country's nuclear capability or making some other irresponsible remarks, as the defence minister did. It's not in our interest to exacerbate the situation. There is a need to adopt a more rational approach even in the face of provocation. There is a need to step back from the brink. The outcome of war is always uncertain, and fighting often produces unintended consequences. There is a tendency for wars to expand, become costlier and last longer than expected. The breakdown of diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan has certainly made communication more difficult, but there are other international channels that should be used to bring down the temperature and create an atmosphere for dialogue. In 2002, there was imminent threat of a full-fledged war between the two countries, but sanity prevailed. Not only was war prevented, but a more substantive peace process between India and Pakistan was also witnessed. Unfortunately, the war hysteria orchestrated by the ultranationalist Modi government has closed all avenues for negotiations. India is under the illusion that it has the military superiority to dismantle Pakistan. New Delhi has chosen this time to escalate matters when the world is preoccupied with other major conflicts. But it must understand that the flames of war could also cost India dearly. — Dawn/ANN Zahid Hussain is an author and journalist.
Deccan Herald
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Mehbooba Mufti lauds wife of navy officer killed in Pahalgam for communal harmony appeal, slams Farooq Abdullah
Mentioning Himanshi Narwal's 'don't want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris' comment, Mehbooba sought to corner National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah for his remarks to a section of media that attacks like the one in Pahalgam on April 22 cannot happen without support.
