The Consulate General of Pakistan New York hosted a webinar “Kashmir’s Continuing Ordeal: A Year After August 5, 2019” on 03 August 2020, says a press release received here today from New York.
Speakers at the Webinar included Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, Ambassador Salman Bashir, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Mr. Ejaz Haider, Executive Editor at Indus News, Mr. Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, President of World Kashmir Freedom Movement, Mr. Todd Shea, CEO and founder of Comprehensive Disaster Response Services (CDRS) and Dr. Asif Rehman, Chair of Kashmir Humanitarian Task Force 2020.
At the outset Consul General Ayesha Ali highlighted the plight of the Kashmiris since the revocation of Article 370, one year ago. The siege of the Kashmiris and the violations of their human rights continued unabated even during COVID-19. She called on international community to prevail upon India to lift military siege in IIOJ&K and to hold India accountable for its illegal actions.
Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Salman Bashir said the Kashmiri people had been incarcerated in their homes in a year-long captivity by a million Indian troops and being subjected to the worse kind of oppression. He urged the US Government and people to speak up against tyranny and the folly of India’s brutal colonial conduct. He said America as an icon of freedom and human rights must assert its moral authority to hold India to account for its policies and practices in Kashmir that are akin to genocide. The US had supported the Kashmiris and many congressmen have spoken out for the cause of justice in Kashmir. He warned that if left unchecked the Kashmiri cauldron could trigger explosions and destroy the peace of the region, and spark wider conflagrations of global magnitude.
Mr. Ijaz Haider spoke at length about the illegal Indian actions and India’s attempt at the settler – colonial project of India which claims to be a democracy but whose defining feature is a Hindutva – driven exclusionary state. He said the international community must be made aware that Indian action of 5th August 2019 was illegal as a disputed territory could not be annexed.
Other speakers also called out the Indian extremist government for denying the people of IIOJ&K their basic human rights. Mr. Thakur said India’s long and cruel occupation had brought unimaginable suffering to the people. He said Indian illegal action of 5th August 2019, accompanied by a huge security clampdown in the occupied territory, a communications blackout, and an excruciating curfew and deployment of additional troops had turned IIOJ&K into world’s biggest open-air prison.
Dr. Asif Rehman said the road to peace in South Asia goes through Kashmir and the issue must be resolved to avoid conflict between two nuclear armed neighbours.
Ambassador Dr. Asad M. Khan, in his concluding remarks, gave an overview of the egregious violations of the human rights of the Kashmiri since 5th August 2019 by the Indian regime. He stressed the need to further educate the people on the ongoing situation in Kashmir. He said the consistent efforts of Kashmiri and Pakistani community in the US had resulted in congressional hearings on Kashmir. The Ambassador drew attention to the extremist Hindu government’s decision to demolish Babri Mosque and inaugurate Ram Temple on the first anniversary of 5th August 2019. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s position to seek peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute and reiterated the strong resolve of the government and people of Pakistan to continue extending moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri brethren.
The webinar was watched by a large number of people through live broadcast on Facebook and Twitter.
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