why 5th February?

Why 5th February. Historically days are marked when something significant happens in the life of the people or nations, but unfortunately it is not the case with the people of former state of Jammu and Kashmir. Our long lasting, bright and tolerant history has been distorted and has been shaped as communal in recent years of occupation and divide. One of them is 5th February which is marked as Kashmir Solidarity day in Pakistan and Pakistani Administered Kashmir. Today I’ would like to pen on most important issue and would also like to expose called so called solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and supporting right of self determination of them. After the fall of Zia regime in Pakistan in a crash in 1988, in Pakistan, the civil Government was established with the vote of Pakistani people, which had having the vision of peaceful co-existence with its neighbors particularly India. It was in 90s when young Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister of India and simultaneously young Benazir Bhutto has taken over the control of Pakistan. The military, mullah and establishment alliance which have deep rooted in the Pakistani society had fear that both young leaders could change the history and destiny of the entire region and could lead both countries towards peace, prosperity and development and through peaceful environment they could be able to further resolve regional conflicts like Jammu and Kashmir and water issues between both countries. This was one aspect of the showing public and political solidarity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The second most important aspect of this show was to overshadow the marking and celebrations and commemoration of Maqbool Bhatt day which is commemorated all over the world and vehement youth shout slogans of an independent and sovereign state of Jammu and Kashmir on 11th February every year. At this day nationalists and pro-independence parties and some other groups use to speak bitter truth and use that day as source to expose Pakistani, military mullah nexus in this game behind so called moral, diplomatic, political and financial support to the people of former princely state of Jammu a and Kashmir. So on one hand Pakistani establishment , military and right wing Parties like Jamaat e Islami, Muslim League and other groups have pressurized newly elected civil government after decades that non India centric foreign policy shall be rejected. So they deteriorated and jeopardized all peaceful means and chances which could foster brotherly relations between both neighbors. It is irony that Kashmir is divided into five parts its current territorial division is as followed: 1-Under Indian Administration regions are Srinagar (Valley), Jammu and Ladakh, 2-Aksai Chin Occupied by China in 1962, Sino India war. 3-So called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan falls under the occupation of Pakistan in October 1947. 4-In 1949, Gilgit Baltistan was taken into the direct control of Pakistan. 5-Shaksgham valley track which is about 5000 M2, gifted to China by Pakistan in 1963. The demography and topography of all these regions are different and unique and without keeping in view the religious, cultural, and linguistic diversity into account we can’t perceive the needs and accommodation of all these regions into one unit or having accept their rights of secession or giving them equal position in the formation of the modern state of Jammu & Kashmir or keeping all the regions equally on board we can’t unify the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. To accommodate different religious, cultural, and linguistic Kashmiri entities the concept of “United States of Kashmir” was launched by the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), in 1993, in front of the European parliament round table conference on Kashmir. Party has paid great price of its stances for the restoration of democracy and human rights in Pakistani administered Kashmir regions of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. First time in the modern history after the division of Jammu and Kashmir United Kashmir People’s National Party which has raised the question of fundamental human rights and social justice in socially, culturally, economically, educationally marginalized regions under illegal Pakistani administration. Before the inception of party (UKPNP), the security agencies of Pakistan use to use this region as launching pad against democratic forms of Pakistan and Indian administered Kashmir. Party explores the roots of fundamentalism, dictatorship and extremism in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan and stood against such destructive forces and alarmed the world community to stop these elements which are using religion as foreign policy tool and terrorism as strategic depth. Both policies could be well observed in Afghanistan and in Kashmir. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto calls military, mullah nexus as an unholy alliance which is based on common issue to oppose democracy in the region. Once again after the dreadful killing of Benazir Bhutto (her Party call her Martyr of Democracy), the security establishment of Pakistan has taken the steering of Pakistani foreign policy since President Asif Ali Zardari took part in a live debate initiated by one of the leading Indian news paper, in which he expressed that he ( Pakistan), wish to resolve all regional issues by peaceful meanings and tools of diplomacy and that he also intends that the citizens of south Asian region shall have the liberty to move freely as billions of European citizens are moving across Europe without visa and travel restrictions. Since then the security establishment has tighten rope around Mr. Asif Ali Zardari. He is once again maligned through different segments of the society. I don’t say that he is an innocent person but as pro-democracy political party we are in the support of democracy and that it should be in the hands of Pakistani people to change the government not by any institution or group. Democracy could only take its roots deep in Pakistani once they would believe in their destiny as conscious people and that they have the ability to change and transform one government by peaceful meanings. That’s why United Kashmir people’s National Party has taken the position of the restoration of social, cultural, economical, democratic, constitutional and human rights of the people of Pakistani administered Kashmir regions. Party has also demanded that “If Pakistan is fervent supporter of right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people than the people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan are most deserving in this case, so their right of self-determination must be restored and they should be given an opportunity to form the Government of their own will and likeliness in their native regions. In 21st century they shouldn’t be ruled by the proxies installed by Islamabad. That the lent officers and Islamabad tight control on financial matters must be reduced and withdrawn in both regions, by doing this Islamabad would be able to win the moral support of the world community and regional democratic forces as well. But the secret hands and establishment would not let civil Government adopt a pragmatic and brave policy. Pakistan has lost one part in 1971, has also lost its huge resources and didn’t focus on social justice, human liberty, gender equality, development and prosperity and has involved itself in wars which we fear could balkanize it. The great USSR didn’t decentralized due to its heavy armament industry and nuclear technology, but that power has neglected social and economical progress of its people. Pakistani ruling elite especially democratic forces should grab this opportunity to focus on social development and that huge donations by the world community must and properly utilized for the betterment and welfare of common people and health, education and infrastructure must be developed according to international standards. If international support to develop social sector infrastructure would misused it would have dire consequences for the entire region and particularly for Pakistan existence and reason of existence in 21st century. Our advice to civilian Government is that she should focus on cultural, educational and social interactions with its neighbors and try to marginalize extremists’ forces at grass root level. At this I couldn’t forget Jamaat e Islami and Chinese communist Party memorandum of understanding (MOU), that China also don’t want to see a Pakistan a democratically ruled state. The Saudiansation of Pakistan dilemma and today Pakistan has become the battlefield of international forces fighting their religious, technological, strategic hegemony in that land. The role of Kashmiri Nationalists forces is to be stick with the solution of national question and I believe without having peaceful coexistence wittingly or unwittingly between India and Pakistan the Kashmiri people would be the fodder of bloodshed and nexus of evil in Pakistan. In this geo-political scenario we should raise the slogans of unification of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir and also ask both countries to open historical trade routes and foster trade and commerce in all three regions under their administration. We believe that peace would bring democracy and strong democratic forces would resolve regional issues whether it is recognition of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir or water issues. In my view the water needs of Pakistan can only be fulfilled or this issue can only properly addressed when Pakistan would respect the historical agreements signed in the perspective of Jammu and Kashmir and that Kashmiri people of all regions, faiths, cultures, languages and traditions could better accommodate Pakistan in its water needs. It is the era of expansion of modern scientific technology and the capital behind it is also expanding and the borders and nation states are a hurdle in its way forward and progress. The prosperity and development of future generations lie on the fact that sooner or later South Asian region would have to form one currency and common market and would have to follow the model of European Union or like former Soviet Republics formed an economic union under Common Wealth of Independent states (CIS). If she will not realise this fact it will lose its parts gradually and finally May be Islamabad would be remain and known as Pakistan. This is not our wish, but it is the lesson of history those who don’t learn from it they have been destroyed throughout long journey of civilization. Jamil Maqsood.

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