Kofi Annan,General Secretary,UN:on UN Resolutions

Pakistan's lies and propaganda on Kashmir

Recently ,UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan during his visit to Pakistan to discuss the ways to save the Buddha Statues of Bamiyan from destruction at the hands of Taliban, the rogue regime of Afghanistan, was as expected asked by the Pakistan Media on the reasons for non -implementation of the UN Resolutions in Kashmir as was the case in East Timor. The Secretary General's reply was straight forward and brief that the Resolutions on East Timor and Iraq were governed under Chapter VII which are self enforcing while the J&K Resolutions are under Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter which require acceptability of both parties for its implementation. Hence, he advised Pakistan that instead of raising the bogey of UN Resolutions, drafted 53 years ago, it should engage India on the basis of the Lahore Declaration of 1998.

This statement not only brought the Secretary General the ire of the Pakistan Regime and Media but also Pakistan supported terrorists/tanzeems in Kashmir as Pakistanis and Pakistan sponsored terrorists have long been inspired by the mythology surrounding the UN Resolutions of 1948 on J&K. Pakistan's attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue (one of the Pakistan's aim for 'Kargil War') over the decades has also drawn much of its raison d'etre from her lopsided interpretation of these resolutions. It is in this context that UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan's clarification on the exact status of the resolutions assumes crucial importance as in one stroke he had exposed the lie, fraud and propaganda the power hungry Pakistan Army Generals and Pakistan supported terrorists/tanzeems in Kashmir have fed the people of the region, holding one sixth of the world's population to ransom and denying them peace, development and prosperity through its terrorists activities.

Now that this lie has been exposed, there are certain other facts people must know, that is, the Secretary General had merely repeated what has been on the UN Security Council records since 1957. In fact on 29 April, 1957, the UN representative for J&K, Mr Gunnar Jarring, in his report to the Security Council had said "…… I could not fail to take note of the concern expressed in connection with the changing Political, Economic and Strategic factors surrounding the whole of the Kashmir question, together with the changing pattern of power relation in West and South Asia. The Council will furthermore be aware of the fact that implementation of the international agreements of an adhoc character, which has not been achieved fairly speedily, may become progressively more difficult because the situation with which they tended to cope has tended to change".

To add to this, do the people of Pakistan and Kashmir know that except for one debate in 1964, the issue has never come up before the Security Council. Believe it or not , in 1992, the then Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali even wanted to remove it from the Security Council list of pending agendas.The UN resolutions were meant for India and Pakistan (erstwhile) for compliance and their was no promise to the Kashmiris, hence the bogey of Kashmiris being the third party to the dispute as voiced by Pakistan's paid stooges in Kashmir is incorrect. In addition, since the dispute is under Chapter VI of the Charter, India is entitled to notifying the UN that it does not want to pursue the complaint and can withdraw it anytime.

The setback to the Pakistani Generals was so great that after Mr Annan left the country, the powerful Army men of Pakistan suddenly felt threatened and immediately a damage control operation was put into motion. For the first 24 hours under the directions of Major General Rashid Qureshi, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Officer and defacto Information Minister, Pakistan TV and Radio dished out garble on the UN, telling their people that what Secretary General said was a lie; that he does not know the functioning of the UN; he is not aware of the UN charter; he is anti Islam, anti Pakistan and pro India; he is under influence of the Western Countries which are inimical to Pakistan's nuclear status etc.

For the next 24 hours, these mediums were highlighting the various issues like Human Rights record of India against Muslims including J&K (forgetting their own), Kashmir is an indigenous movement (forgetting the innumerable sacrifices the poor, misguided and illiterate boys of Azhar Masood (Jesh-e-Mohammedi) and Hafeez Saeed (Lashkar-e-Toiba ) had made for Kashmir on the Generals' mere raising of the finger, rallying of the Islamic Ummah and the irrevocable comparisons to the Palestine struggle and the similar injustices being meted out to the Palestinians by the Western World and USA.

The Chief Executive was at pains to explain at every forum that Pakistan is gaining diplomatic leverage on Kashmir as USA or Western Governments were not talking of Pakistan being a terrorism sponsoring State, forgetting that a fortnight ago three Pakistan based groups namely, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad, were branded as terrorists and banned by the UK Government. The tremendous efforts by Pakistan's Regime to put the cat back in the bag as early as possible showed its continued policy in pursuance of lies and propaganda on the issue of UN Resolutions on Kashmir.

Pakistan is feeding the people with lies and baseless propaganda. Firstly, Human Rights issue in J&K. If one was to believe Pakistan TV, Radio and Pakistan supported terrorists organisation in Kashmir, by now all Kashmiris should have either been dead or fled the Valley or are in the process of doingso.Do you know that despite being fully aware that these paid stooges are propagating secession, hatred against communities, indoctrinating people with all lies and instigating locals to disturb the law and order of the state, yet, they are allowed to move freely, speak to Media including foreign Media, get their views published in the newspapers, have discussions on the private TV Channels, meet foreign dignitaries including having a regular oath of allegiance ceremony at Pakistan High Commissioner's house in New Delhi, visit foreign countries, address the Organisation of Islamic Countries(OIC) conference, raise slogans against the country and the Government, hold protests against perceived issues, call for strikes etc. If these so called targeted leaders are allowed so much of freedom to exercise their rights, can the local peoples' rights be a question?

Hence what Human Rights are these stooges and the Pakistan Government talking about? Is killing terrorists who are creating havoc in the state a Human Rights violation? Is action taken under the law of the land by the State machinery to ensure security of its citizens a Human Rights violation; certainly not. Then what is it that these people crib about?

On interaction I understood their mind; as most of these stooges are also the front faces of the terrorists groups and if a terrorist belonging to their group is killed then it is Human Rights violation.In the same breadth if a terrorist of their group throws a grenade on the Security Forces; its an act of valour, he is to be rewarded; and if the grenade misses the target and kills or injures the innocent civilians who happen to be there, then its bad luck of those civilians but certainly not a Human Rights violation. Do you know that 25 civilians have been killed and hundreds others injured since the beginning of this year in grenade throwing incidents staged by these terrorists and not once did these stooges, leave aside a word of grief, even uttered a word of caution to their comrades in arms.

Do you know that if a terrorist rapes a woman, he is a Mujahid and requires entertainment and this is not a Human Rights violation; but if the law enforcing agencies go to a house to inquire about the terrorists' from their female relatives, it is molestation, rape and a Human Rights violation ?

Do you know if a terrorist kills a Kashmiri political opponent of these stooges, that person deserved to die as he was opposing their cause and hence not a Human Rights violation; but if the Police arrests one of the terrorists' mentors acting as a politician then it is a Human Rights violation ?

Do the people know that 352 Kashmiri political workers have been killed by the terrorists at the behest of these Stooges and Pakistani mentors ?

What these stooges and their mentors need to understand is that when their own hands are soaked in the blood of thousands of innocent Kashmiris, then they have no moral right to talk of Human Rights violations.

Lets talk of the other half of the erstwhile J&K, that is POK and Northern Areas and the status of Human Rights in those areas. As per one of the leaders of the Kashmiri secessionist groups during his visit to POK realised to his horror that people had no rights except religious freedom. Everywhere someone was looking over the shoulder to ensure that no one utters anything but the official line. Though, only three months have gone but it is already an old story.

Recently, Showkat Bhat, son of late Maqbool Bhat, founder of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and hanged by Indian authorities, alongwith 13 others was arrested for taking out a peace march towards UN office in Islamabad to highlight the Human Rights violations in POK and Northern Areas of Gilgit, Baltistan and Hunza. They were subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by the prison authorities. Is this not a Human Rights violation?

Have the people heard of some place called Balawaristan (Baltistan cum Gilgit) which has an area of 44800 square kms, that is, three times that of POK and has a population of twomillionwhich are mostly Shia Muslims? How can you, when even most of the Pakistanis themselves donot know where its ; reason the Pakistan Government has banned Media in that area. The people there have no political, social or religious rights. It is one of the most backward areas of the entire South Asia despite being rich in minerals and is directly being governed by the Army Generals since Pakistanoccupiedit in 1947.

Do you know that anyone seen or heard taking part in political activity is put behind the bars? Do you know that more than 100 political activists of the Balawaristan National Front (BNF) and Karakoram National Movement(KNM) have been charged for treason against the State in the Kangaroo Courts at Gilgit?

Is this not a case of Human Rights violation ?

Do you know that Pakistan Army recently destroyed a Shia mosque in Dewasai, near Skardu, to send a message to the Shias not to raise their voice lest it is heard by the outsiders ?

Do you know that General Musharraf was revered as a Commander of the Area by his seniors for his anti-Shia policies and the control he exercised over the lives of the common people?

Do you know that his anti Shia stance is one of the major reasons why he is so dear to the Talibans and the Jehadi groups ?

Do you know that thousands of people of the region were made to change their religious sect to Sunni at Bonji Cantonment ?

Do you know hundreds of girls were kidnapped and raped by the Sunni biased Pakistan Army? Is this not a case of Human Rights violation ?

Now to the other subject of Kashmir being an indigenous movement articulated by the Pakistanis and their stooges. The world gave Pakistan the benefit of doubt on this issue till the Kargil War in 1999 when the world realised the dangerous nature of the Pakistani State. Big talk of Mujahideens fighting the Indian Army in Kargil ensured the the lid was off over Kashmir being an indigenous movement. Now whenever General Musharraf, General Moinuddin Haider, the Interior Minister or Maleeha Lodhi talk of Kashmir being an indigenous movement, the world laughs and dismisses it as a politician's or a diplomat's compulsion. Now whenever the Pakistan Regime and their stooges demand a judicial probe into a massacre of innocents, the world knows exactly who has carried out the barbaric incident and on whose orders.

The stooges in Kashmir do make noise now and then but everyone knows who is controlling the purse, the gun and the tongue. Presently, there are only four terrorist groups operating in J&K, that is, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad(JeM), Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen(HuM) and Al Badar, all of which are manned by the Pakistanis and Afghans and operate from Pakistan. These groups must be taking offence to the utterances of Pakistan's Regime for they have made all the sacrifices and someone else is being given the credit or else they must have been told of the bigger cake which awaits them if the aim is achieved.

Today, Pakistanis are unable to reconcile themselves to the fact that Western support to them on Kashmir in the 70s' and 80s' was actually contingent on their need for Pakistan during the Cold War. Should Pakistan only care to place UN Secretary General's current remarks in the post Cold War context, it will see the changed equation for what it is. Instead of carrying on with lies and propaganda on Kashmir, it is hoped that Mr Annan's statement will instill a greater sense of realism in Pakistan and its stooges in Kashmir and persuade them to adopt a more positive attitude.

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