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THE KASHMIR ISSUE (Outstanding)
Kashmir the issue is a bone of contention between Pakistan and India. It is the burning
question of today. It demands instant attention from the world powers. No real
peace can come to the Sub-continent until this problem is solved. Pakistan has
inherited this issue since its birth.
The
British sold the valley of Kashmir to Gulab Sing in 1846. The Muslims of the valley
were also sold with it. When Pakistan came into being in 1947, the Kashmiri
people wanted to join Pakistan. Raja Hari Singh acceded to India. Sheikh
Abdullah supported the decision. The Kashmiris nauseated against the decision
and took up arms. The Indian army entered Kashmir to crush this movement. Pakistan
supported the Kashmiris and a part of Kashmir was liberated. The matter was
taken to the UNO. The Kashmiris were allowed to decide their own future through the vote. The UNO promised to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir. Russia supported India.
The UNO was helpless. Plebiscite could not be held. A large part of the valley
is still under the occupation of India. The Kashmiris nauseated against India
in 1965 and started their war of liberation. India blamed that Pakistan had
sent armed forces to Kashmir. Pakistan demanded that the Indian forces should
quit Kashmir. India attacked Pakistan to prevent her from helping the
Kashmiris. There was another war between Pakistan and India in 1971. The Shimla
Pact was signed between Pakistan and India. India promised to hold talks on
this matter but she has never fulfilled her promise.
There
are religious, social, economic and geographical reasons for our devotion to
Kashmir. In the word "Pakistan" the letter. "K" represents Kashmir.
It is the part and parcel of Pakistan; Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir.
Firstly, the Kashmiris are Muslims and are our brothers religiously. Secondly,
a number of kith and kin of the Kashmiris live in Pakistan. They are connected
with each other culturally. Thirdly, Kashmir is situated to the north of
Pakistan. All its rivers flow to Pakistan. Fourthly, economically, Kashmir and
Pakistan is interdependent. Much of the timber found in the Kashmir mountains are cut
down and dragged down to the rivers in Pakistan. The two big markets for
Kashmir timbers are Wazirabad and Sialkot. There are no other means of carrying
the timber out of Kashmir except Pakistan. Another item is fresh fruit and
vegetables. The adjacent market for these Kashmiri articles is Rawalpindi. If
this market refuses to accept these articles, the Kashmiri economy will get a severe
setback because they cannot be taken to India due to long distance.
The above-mentioned facts are enough to prove Pakistan’s claim for accession to Kashmir.
India is holding Kashmir only by force. She is persecuting the Kashmiris. She
is killing the citizens. She is massacring innocent children. The Indian
soldiers enter the houses and rob and rape the ladies. Whenever the Kashmiris
resist, they make even a severer attack and drop bombs. They demolish the whole
villages. They make the lives of the people unbearable. They have arrested and confined
a number of acquitted citizens. They want to crush their freedom movement. But
they will never succeed in emanating Islam from their hearts. Now, the
Kashmiris are fighting the guerilla war. The Pakistani people are naturally nervous
about their Kashmiri brothers. A
general raid is held every year in Pakistan on 5th February. Pakistan is
supporting them morally and religiously. Most of the countries of the world
support Pakistan’s viewpoint. India stands as a criminal in the International
court. The only solution is the liberty of the Kashmiris as the poet says:
What
light is to the eyes,
What
air is to the things,
What
love is to the heart,
Liberty
is the soul of man