PRESENT INDIAN PROPAGANDA:

ALL PAKISTANIS MUST ACCEPT THEY ARE PAKISTANI AND

BE AWARE OF EVER PRESENT INDIAN PROPAGANDA:

ASSALAM-O-ALAIKUM!

Instead of handing over Maqbooza Kashmir (an area of about 42,000 square miles) to Pakistan, India is once again trying to coercively create an independent state in northern part (northern areas and Azad Kashmir comprising about 4000 square miles) of Pakistan. This is in line with its activities in the past where it bribed Bangladesh, and now, it is bribing the Pahari Nationalists who are tirelessly propagating that they are occupied. The mainstream parties’ candidates are being promised support by India as if this is actually a disputed territory.

Azad Kashmir (presently known as Ghazi Kashmir) was liberated by none other than the Muslims of Kashmir and the Pakistani forces. As such, it is a lawful part of Pakistan. But these power hungry, blood thirsty politicians, in order to push forward their personal interests to propagate a message in which somehow a territory that is fully controlled by Pakistan “will become a part of Pakistan”. It is a known fact that the whole state of Jammu Kashmir, both liberated and un-liberated is a part of Pakistan for three reasons.

First off it is a Muslim majority state. Secondly, the state has geographic contiguity with Pakistan. Lastly, the people of the state have already given their vote to be a part of Pakistan decades ago on July 19, 1947. India is now and has always been attempting to divide Pakistan through various different strategies. Most recently, it is doing this by asserting that areas which hold certain natural resources such as Sui gas are not getting an equitable share of the resources or benefits. Similarly, it is also cause division on the basis of Mangla Dam.

The issue is that natural resources are the property of the nation; not of the local populace belonging to that specific region exclusively. It must be utilized to the best interest of the state, equitably. Pakistan must strength itself on a federal level so that no single province can exercise any autonomy over the interests of the entire nation. Only a strong Pakistan can force or exercise influence on India and the international community to bring about a solution to all of these issues.

Pakistan cannot and should not withdraw from its claim of Maqbooza Kashmir because of fear of area size of India or its population; the people of the occupied territory and Pakistan have already sacrificed themselves for decades. The people of the occupied territory must be liberated from the slavery of India by force if all peaceful means are exhausted.  As Muslims it is our religious duty to help the oppressed. Our next door neighbor, the Sikh nation has also been occupied for the past seven decades and more than 270,000 Sikhs have been killed during that span. The Sikhs are forced to live as Hindus in India and are not freely able to practice their religion. Since Sikhs have always been allies of Muslims in Maqbooza Kashmir, Pakistan must help them get their freedom from India as well.

HABIB YOUSAFZAI, CHAIRMAN OF THE KASHMIR DIASPORA ALLIANCE