Kashmiri Americans Protest At UN HQ

New York. September 28, 2010. Hundreds of Kashmiri Americans and friends of Kashmir held a peaceful protest in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York during the current session of the General Assembly. Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, the Prime Minister, Azad Kashmir said that Kashmir was situated at the heart of three nuclear powers of the world – India, Pakistan & China - which makes it the most dangerous place on earth. He reminded the participants that the presence of 700,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces has made Kashmir eh largest army concentration anywhere in the world. He also said that the European Parliamentary delegation has sad that Kashmir was the most beautiful prison on earth. It is in the very national interest of world powers including the United States to find a lasting and durable solution of the Kashmir problem.

Sardar Attique Khan thanked the Secretary General of the United Nations DSC08201for taking note of the grave situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir even though his expression of ‘regrets’ over the loss of Kashmiri lives was late in coming. It is the responsibility of the Secretary General as the custodian of human rights and under the Charter of the United Nations to take urgent steps to resolve this long-standing dispute in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir as envisaged in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The Prime Minister underlined that a dispute-settled Kashmir can deliver immense peace dividends to the 1.2 billion people of South Asia

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center said that the Kashmir issue has been pending on the agenda of the Security Council since 1948. At that time, an agreement took place between India and Pakistan, endorsed by the United Nations and supported by the international community guaranteeing the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. The people of Kashmir who have never lost hope in the United Nations have since that date sought to freely exercise their right to self-determination. This denial of the United Nation Charter and thus the denial of the right of self-determination have lead to bloodshed, pain, rapine and suffering in Kashmir.

Fai emphasized that the situation in Kashmir has been met with studied unconcern by the United Nations. This has given a sense of total impunity to India. It has also created the impression that the United Nations is invidiously selective about the application of the principles of human rights and democracy. The Executive Director noted that what is anguishing and dumbfounding to me is not that the United Nations resists sending its forces to Kashmir to vindicate self-determination at the risk of warring with India. What is frustrating and confounding is that the United Nations withholds even the moral boost of officially proclaiming the right of self-determination for SAM_194515 million people of Jammu & Kashmir in accord with Security Council resolutions it heartily approved and has never disavowed.

Sardar Sawar Khan, leader of Jammu Kashmir Peoples Muslim League said that the conflict in Indian Occupied Kashmir has acquired a new dimension. Since, July this year, Kashmiri youth have taken the lead to press for their inalienable right to self-determination, a right guaranteed by the United Nations. Sawar Khan further said that the youth has taken to streets, paralyzing the unlawful local administration. Now, there is no turning back – this is a do or die phase of our long struggle for “Azadi” (freedom) after decades of the oppressive Indian rule.

Tariq Mahmood Khalid Advocate said that as the custodian of human rights and fundamental freedoms we expect that the United Nations Secretary General to speak up and pressure India to implement the framework laid down in the United Nations Security Council resolutions for a free and impartial plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiri people. He stressed that the United Nations has an obligation, nay a duty, to the people of Kashmir.

Hafiz Mohammad Sabir, leader of Kashmiri community in New York said that India’s hugh security apparatus has failed to subdue the people of Kashmir. The youth has strong support among the people, including their parents. As the Indian soldiers attempt to subdue them, the people of Kashmir are suffering under strict 24 – hour curfews, enforced by the Indian military.

Sardar Zahid, Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference reminded the United Nations that there will be no peace in South Asia unless the core issue of Kashmir was peacefully resolved to the satisfaction of all parties _ nuclear- armed India & Pakistan as well as authentic representatives of Kashmiri people. The sooner it is settled, the better it will be far international peace and security.

Edward Hasbrook, Human rights Activist, San Francisco urged Obama Administration to take the leadership role in finding the durable solution of the aged old dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sardar Taj Khan, Muslim Conference expressed grave concerned over the deteriorating situation in Kashmir and appealed to the international humanSAM_1949 rights and humanitarian organizations to come to rescue the innocent civilians in the Occupied Kashmir.

Sardar Niaz, Jamaat-e-Islami, Azad Kashmir reiterated that Kashmir issue is one of the oldest issues pending on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.

Mr. Abid Bhat made it clear that no solution will be acceptable to the people of Kashmir unless India and Pakistan include the Kashmiri leadership in all future negotiations. Kashmiri people, Abid Bhat said are the primary stakeholders.

Mohammad Afzal Bhat, President, Islamabad Press Club made passionate appeal to the world media to report about the semi-genocidal situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Kashmir mass rallies are much more widespread and popular than ‘Rose Revolution” in Georgia but the CNN did not make its priority to report about it on a regular basis. He said that it was the ‘Electronic Eye’ that could save the hapless Kashmiri people from the brutal and inhuman force of India.

Mr. Aftab Shah, President Jammu Kashmir Muslim Conference said that beautiful Valley of Kashmir has been turned into a virtual hellfire for the people of Kashmir. Kashmir has lost its beauty and its mystique, Aftab Shah said.

Mr. Qayyum Qamar Sahib of Azad Kashmir said that the thousands of people who fled the Occupied Kashmir are living in various refugee camps in Muzzafarabad. Every family has a tale to tell. The people of Azad Kashmir, Qayyum Qamar said could not remain untouched and unmoved.

Others who attended the rally included Mr. Zubair Khan, Sardar Zarif Khan, Sardar Zulfikar Khan, Abdul Rashid Bhatti, Masood-Ur-Rehman, Abdul Hameed Shaheen, Mian Maqsood, Haji Mohammad Azam, Haji Mohammad Nazir, Chowdhary Mohammad Ishaq, and Chowdhary Zahoor Akhtar.

At the end, Dr. Fai submitted a memorandum to the Secretary General of the UN on behalf of all participating and sponsoring organizations wherein they said that the gruesome status quo in Kashmir was both legally and morally unacceptable and militarily and economically frightening. There is no time for further complacency.

They appealed to the Secretary General:

1. To create a conducive atmosphere for the Implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions. Alternatively, both India and Pakistan must be persuaded to initiate a tripartite negotiations between all parties concerned – India, Pakistan and the leadership of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to set a stage for the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

2. To appoint a special envoy on Kashmir of an international standing, like Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

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