Column
By Dr Shujaat Ali Quadri
Does anyone remember that any Pakistani Prime Minister, and in absence of one, which has been quite frequent in the history of the democracy-resistant nation, any Pakistani representative has not raised the question of Kashmir at the UN? Always with the same arrogance – we can’t be wrong, even if the annals of history keep building a case against us?
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 26 was a tad fuller of hubris when he tuned into the same raga of Kashmir at the UN podium which he thumped with pomposity while reminding a feeble audience that he had delivered a similar speech a year ago – which might have been forgotten.
Shehbaz mentioned the UNSC’s 1948 resolution on Kashmir that seeks to resolve the issue through well-defined and structured mechanism, but he forgot to mention what preceded that and what Kashmiris went through. In 1948, as even Pakistan’s most ardent supporter in Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has written in his autobiography Wullar Kinare – Pakistani tribal leaders, in collusion with local politicians, would rape Kahmiri women to instil terror in the population.
Other accounts of the 1948 tribal invasion are equally horrifying.
Terror, the obvious manifestation of arrogance, has been the only roadblock in maintaining peace in the Valley and once this menace will be eliminated, the solution will appear as Rumi saw “a way appearing”.
1948 was immediately after partition of India, or rather Indians, and so India never blocked people-to-people and later government- to government interactions and flow across borders even after a war. That’s why India and Pakistan relations somewhat flourished till 1965 and people across the border could freely maintain familial and commercial links. But Pakistan launched a piercing attack into the back of India in 1965 when India was nursing similar wounds following the 1962 China war. The 1965 Pakistani aggression which, according to veteran journalist-author MJ Akbar, reconfigured the psyche of people and it went from bad to worse in coming years.
In his pretension of imperiousness, Shehbaz invoked genocide in Gaza to compare human rights violation in Kashmir. He didn’t cite any media report, least any credible info gathered from any official source to prove his imagination even 10 per cent. Because no evidence exist. After Pakistan’s Pahalgam horror, tourism is picking up pace. Kashmiris, if they have problems at all, they have only those kinds of problems as rest of Indians have grievances against governance which is a sign of a robust democracy.
Sharif felt no shame in supporting US President Donald Trump whose country has blocked a number of proposals to prevent genocide of Palestinians at the UNSC. He was full of grateful pride for recommending Trump for the Nobel Peace prize.
*Kashmir, Pakistan, Palestine*
Those who have travelled Kashmir in the last 10 years know that Kashmiris support Palestinians in almost as many hues as possible. They have had organisations supporting Palestinian Authority of Yasser Arafat (with his cutouts or poster adorning their walls), Hamas (its supporters certainly not on surface but they do support group’s right to resistance and have been active without any trouble), and Hezbollah and Iranian clerical leadership (these people have well-organised and very open in their support with their office in the heart of Srinagar).
The Indian government whether the central government and its various organs or the state government has never prevented these organisations from presenting their point of view. In fact, seminars in support of Palestinian cause have been as frequent as they might have been in any Indian academic institution.
Only after August 5, 2019, as a measure of precaution, active processions in any political cause were proscribed so that they don’t flare out of control. Once normalcy limped back to the Valley, these Palestinian-supporting organisations were also allowed to have their space. Yes, the government has ensured that there should not be any glorification of October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel as it has been the government’s official policy to deem them as “terror” and condemnable. However, the criticism of Israel and its genocide has been allowed in however harshest way possible.
Almost the same situation perhaps must be prevailing in Pakistan. Pakistan too has allowed public support in favour of Palestinian cause in a similar way. It would be different from India as much as the demography of Pakistan is different from that of India.
The Palestinian embassy in New Delhi is one of the most vibrant missions of Palestine in almost the whole globe. Its ambassador is adored like a most cherished friend. The events of the embassy are fervently attended by all sections of Indians and foreigners living in India.
The case of Pakistan vis a vis all Muslims of the world has been that of an opportunistic 20th and 21st century nation. It was very early in its infancy that Pakistan aligned with America. History will remind that it was used to foment the American cause in the Indian subcontinent and the Asia Pacific.
Late Pakistani bureaucrat-diplomat-author-sufi Qudratullah Shahab wrote in epic autobiography Shahabnama that even certain regime changes in Pakistan were effected by Washington and that like all other Muslim countries, Pakistani also looked otherwise when Palestinians were massacred and forced to live as refugees in geographies where, if not enough succour was available, they had to beg for survival.
The Pakistani quid pro quo-guided policy has continued to this day. MJ Akbar, now a regular columnist for the Open magazine, wrote in a recent piece that Pakistan provided its bases for American planes to attack Iranian nuclear sites in June. Beyond this, nothing remains to unveil Pakistan’s policy for its “brothers of faith”.
One more hypocrisy of Pakistani leaders is quoting from the Quran – the scripture for all faithful.
Sharif began his speech quoting a somewhat long verse of the Quran, ostensibly to prove a point of being holier than thou (India). He also emphatically recalled the Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos – the name of his military’s offensive against India in brief May flagration. He didn’t perfectly pronounce it though.
Barring Jinnah who perhaps lacked the ability to properly quote from the Quran – all Pakistani leaders quote from the Quran for sounding holy and those always on the right side of the fulcrum of righteousness.
But the Quran, like all scriptures, is people-agnostic. It recognises no claim. Its sole parameter is pushing people to an exalted position of character, and also nations those who are free of injustice (to others and to themselves) and thus know no fear. Beyond this threshold lie the solutions to all problems and a path to permanent peace. The earlier Pakistan realises this, the better. Only it will make Pakistan the Pakistan (pure).
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this Column are purely those of the Author who is the National Chairman of Muslim Students Organisation of India [MSO]. He writes on a wide range of issues, including, Sufism, Public Policy, Geopolitics and Information Warfare.)
