ALI SUKHANVER

Our association with the Nursery Rhymes keeps our natural innocence alive even when we are old and mature enough to narrate these rhymes to our grand-children. I still remember a beautifully innocent poem, our class-teacher used to sing us about fifty years back; Twinkle twinkle little star-How I wonder what you are-Up above the world so high-Like a diamond in the sky. Though, I couldn’t grasp the meanings of this poem that time but now I realize the profundity and depth hidden in those simple lines; the message buried in those musical words. Certainly rising up so high and dispelling the darkness around with our glimmering brilliance is never an easy job particularly when nothing around us is favourable and supportive; same is the story of Pakistan. In spite of so many odds and evils, so many hurdles and hindrances, Pakistan is always twinkling like a diamond in the sky. The world around us is frightened of our abilities, talents, skills and courage as well as of our determination and because of this fear, our ‘friends’ always remain busy in knitting a web of conspiracies around us. For the last three decades we have been trying to convince the world that we have nothing to do with those who promote terrorism, who sponsor militancy and who support extremism but nobody is there to believe in what we claim. From the Mumbai blasts to the Pulwama Attacks, we were always forcibly dragged into the scenario which never belonged to us. It is yet not clear either the world is frightened of us because we are the Muslims or because we are the Pakistanis. Both of our identities seem ‘pain in the neck’ for the world around us.

Particularly for India, the root-cause of its enmity with Pakistan is Pakistan’s continuous moral support to Kashmir’s freedom-movement. It is not only with the people of Kashmir, Pakistan is always standing with all the crushed ones. Be it Sri Lanka, Nepal, Iraq, Palestine or even Afghanistan, Pakistan has never remained silent over atrocities against any nation, any country. As far as the issue of the Indian-Held Kashmir is concerned, Pakistan has always been doing all best possible to draw the attention of the world peace-keepers towards the grave human rights violations in the valley of Kashmir by the Indian security forces. The result of this support is that some think-tanks in India have started holding Pakistan responsible for the cancellation of articles 370 and 35-A in the Indian Held Kashmir. They are of the opinion that this situation must not have occurred if Prime Minister Imran Khan had not discussed the Kashmir issue with President Trump during his meeting last July. They say whatever happened there in form of cancellation of articles 370 and 35-A is in fact a reaction of Mr. Modi to Mr. Khan’s attempt of bringing Kashmir issue to lime-light. It means, they are of the opinion that Pakistan and Imran Khan must remain indifferent to the atrocities, the helpless people of Kashmir have been facing for the last many decades.

Why do these think-tanks expect Modi-like attitude from Pakistan? Why do they expect from Pakistan to keep the eyes closed to the burning houses of Kashmiris and to their blood spilling in the streets? Pakistan and Kashmir are the two sides of the same coin; they could never beseparated. Though by scrapping Article 370 and 35 A, Mr. Modi has tried to deprive the Kashmiris of their personal identity and snatch their basic rights but this shot is not going to be effective and useful there in the long run. Things are getting worse and worse with every passing day. According to the Kashmir Media Service just in the month of August 2019, the Indian security forces brutally murdered more than 18 Kashmiris whereas 467 were brutally injured with air-guns commonly known as the pallet-guns. Over 10,000 arrested have been booked under draconian law, Public Safety Act since the repeal of the special status of territory by the Indian government on 5th August. Those detained under PSA include Hurriyat leaders, political workers, traders, lawyers, social activists, and youth. This all is very much horrible and criminal silence of the international peace-keepers is simply adding a lot of misery to the situation. All over the world, there is no one but Pakistan standing in support of the helpless Kashmiris. Recently the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan and the Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa paid an official visit to China. During the visit the Kashmir issue remained the focus of all discussions. It is being hoped that China would try to seek some way out for the betterment of the wretched Kashmiris.