They are back in Islamabad
Dr Shabir Choudhry 23 June 2008
Unity is strength, we are told, but that is only half true. If unity is based around some agreed principles and all concerned are honest and dedicated people then surely it is a source of strength and motivation. But if unity is forged on behest of some foreign agency or imposed upon divided leaders with competing and contradictory interests then it is 'marriage of convenience' or business enterprise which will ultimately disappoint people.
APHC was united at one time, and many were led to believe that it was
representative of the Kashmiri people, reality however was that they
represented those who established them and funded them. Sentiments of
the Valley Muslims regarding India aside, the APHC did not even
represent Muslims of the Valley. It was a brain child of agencies and
stalwarts of APHC, despite all odds, 'bravely' championed the cause of
the parent organisation, even at the cost of interest of the Kashmiri
people.
Conflicting interests and contradictory stand resulted in acrimony,
allegations and split. Shabir Shah was expelled from APHC for crime of
meeting an American diplomat. Yasin Malik also said good bye to the
fragile alliance. Divisions or more precisely personal interests and
rivalry intensified and resulted in the APHC having two groups, one
headed by Syed Ali Gilani and the other by Mir Waiz Omer Farooq.
In Kashmir every leader claims to represent the majority, even when
they know that they cannot even muster two dozen people. Similarly
both groups of APHC claimed to represent the majority of the people,
and were very generous in abusing each other and calling the other
faction 'anti movement.'
Apparently pay masters and other well - wishers tried to unite them
but obstinate attitude and big ego frustrated all the efforts. Then
all of sudden on eve of their trip to Islamabad both groups got
'united', as nothing had happened. Many wonder around what principles
they got together, and moreover which group is 'anti movement'? Both
groups claimed that the other group was 'anti movement', could you
please tell the bewildered nation which group, in reality was 'anti
movement' and what soda or water (Aaab e Zam Zam or ganga jal they
have used to purify the group which was 'anti movement'. We would like
to borrow this tonic that we can use it Azad Kashmir as well.
Is it not strange that a Kashmiri leader who has always ensured that
Kashmiris in general and Kashmiri nationalists in particular don't get
united, even they have expressed happiness over this extra ordinary
event of 'holi alliance'. No one cared to ask him what about
unification of his own party which is in many groups mainly due to his
autocratic and unconstitutional actions which he claimed were in the
larger interest of the organisation and movement.
Also is it not strange that those who are in good books of Islamabad
were awarded with passports by India that they can visit Islamabad?
This happened at the time of their last visit and it happened again.
Does it mean that establishments of both countries have tacit
agreement to reward good boys of the movement?
One wonders who are these good boys of the movement and what do they
do to deserve this special treatment that Indian establishment issue
passports in contravention of their laws. Take example of Yasin Malik
who was among the first to pick up a gun. I don't have details what he
did with his gun and how many people he killed, but there are 23
criminal cases pending against him. People still don't know what
happened to his gun, but when he was released from a 'farm house'
where he was kept during his detention he was a changed man who
preached non violence. And India had no problem issuing him a
passport, despite the provisions of the Passport Act of 1967
prohibiting it.
Because of large concentration of army in Kashmir, and for this India
gets a lot of pressure from human rights organisations and the
international community. Claim was that this concentration of army was
causing problems for people and restricting their right to travel and
right to assemble.
Shrewd Indian policy makers decided to tackle this matter sensibly;
hence we witnessed the 'signature campaign'. In this campaign groups
of people headed by Yasin Malik travelled from village to village and
town to town to get signatures of people. This helped India to prove
that, despite a large army and war against 'terrorism' in Jammu and
Kashmir, right to travel and right to assemble was there for those who
did not carry and use guns.
India wanted to convey this to the West and human rights organisations
that governments in Paris, London and Washington would also challenge
and kill those who carry guns with intention of using them, and if
India is doing that, especially when there is militancy going on for
the past so many years then what is wrong with that.
After successful completion of 'Signature Campaign' Yasin Malik was
given a passport and allowed to travel to Pakistan where he had
exhibition and presented these signature to the Pakistani government.
Yasin Malik got a protocol in Pakistan which he never dreamt of. He
had meetings with senior politicians and with those who promote and
control these politicians.
Of course apart from Yasin Malik other stalwarts of the APHC headed by
Mir Waiz, who were in good books of Islamabad were issued passports by
India and allowed to visit Pakistan. All these leaders spent most of
their time in Pakistan, a country which illegally occupies parts of
Jammu and Kashmir's territory, and never visited Gilgit and Baltistan
which has been left to the mercy of Pakistani bureaucrats since 1947.
This campaign helped to clean India's image to some extent, but more
needed to be done because of human rights abuse perpetrated since
1989. Many still thought that right of expression, right to travel and
right to assemble was in jeopardy in Kashmir because of the large army
presence, so once again Yasin Malik's services were required, hence a
start of a new campaign "“ 'safre azadi'.
Yasin Malik and his entourage travelled to every corner of the Valley
with hundreds of people- they travelled at night during the day and
with lamps. He addressed hundreds of rallies and meetings where people
in thousands were present, and not a single gun was fired by troops;
no one stopped him or arrested anyone, and no one was killed.
Once again a clear message was sent to the world that if people wanted
to use their right of expression, right to travel and right to
assemble there is no problem in Jammu and Kashmir provided people
don't carry guns and resort to violence. India could not have achieved
this goal without this 'safre azadi'. Apart from other rewards once
again he was issued a passport and sent across to Pakistan where he
again had exhibition to boast his 'achievement'.
In view of some Kashmiri analysts Pakistani establishment played a key
role in dividing APHC- divided leaders are easy prey of agencies.
Apart from that they wanted to prove how mean, immature and selfish
were Kashmiri leaders that even at this critical juncture of their
history they were at each other's throat and building their own
castles with no care for the suffering people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since the new government has taken power in Pakistan role of secret
agencies has reduced considerably. Pakistan is reviewing its policy on
Kashmir and has said good bye to the policy of General Musharaf. New
policy requires a new strategy; and new strategy has a considerable
political input as well. Militancy in Jammu and Kashmir will increase
and to support and justify this, political activities will be
organised inside and outside Kashmir.
Pakistani government thought these leaders are still useful and best
thing is to forge unity among them that they could be used effectively
in new scheme of things on the issue of Kashmir. So these 'leaders'
were told if they wanted to visit Pakistan, and moreover wanted
continuation of Islamabad's support then come here as one team. Yasin
Malik has also assured them to join APHC, which he will join soon.
Apart from that elections in Jammu and Kashmir are around the corner,
and like in the past, task of Yasin Malik and APHC is to oppose them.
Their role is to disrupt elections that people cannot elect their
representatives to help people resolve their everyday problems. These
leaders know very well that in any fair and free election they cannot
win, and this fact was acknowledged by Shabir Shah in a meeting with a
Western human rights activist.
Yasin Malik has left Islamabad with new advice, new contract and new
tasks. APHC leaders are still here, and will get their briefing and
their contracts and tasks. Islamabad has serious economic problems but
it is believed that they are still very generous to people of Indian
side of Kashmir. These leaders always leave Islamabad happy, satisfied
and many times richer. May Allah SWT help us?
Writer is a political activist, analyst and author of many books and
booklets. Also he is Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs. Email:
drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com
To view other articles see my blog: www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com
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Dr Shabir Choudhry
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