New York: Kashmiri Americans along with friends of Kashmir staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the U.N. amid the heavy rain, demanding freedom from Indian occupation as Dr. S. Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India was addressing the General Assembly. The participants condemned the enactment of Domicile Law and other illegal measures which are designed to change the demography of Kashmir. Holding placards in their hands which read: “Indian Forces: Out of Kashmir”; “Who is terrorist? Modi, Modi” “India: Honor UN Pledges”,; “Wake UP-Wake Up: UN Wake Up”; “We Demand Justice for Yasin Malik”; “India: Release All Political Prisoners.”
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Mir, President, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said that we are here at the United Nations again to tell the world that it has failed to protect the very basic and elemental rights of 23 million Kashmir’s for 76 years against its illegal occupation; and unrelenting and inhumane atrocities. How long is not too long for the UNGA & the UNSC to allow India to get away with daily murder and unrelenting atrocities on our people?
Dr. Mir added that the fascist Hindu nationalist Modi regime is engaged in dismantling and erasing the Muslim civilization based on unique blend of Kashmiri cultural values and rich traditions. It is aggressively and violently working to replace it with violent, intolerant brand of a Hindutva society based on a Brahmin caste system. We the Kashmiri diaspora in a unified voice want to deliver the message to India it must dismantle its illegal settlements in the illegally occupied Kashmir, pull the 900,000 occupation forces out and let Kashmir go free to build its ow nation based on tolerant democratic and pluralistic Muslim ideals.
Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhary, President of Azad Kashmir while addressing the gathering via zoom said that the grave situation in Kashmir demands that it could be brought to the attention of the Security Council. The world powers should be left in no doubt that any failure to resolve the problem could lead to serious disorders throughout the South Asian Subcontinent and possibly to yet another war between India and Pakistan.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman, ‘World Forum for Peace & Justice’ appeal to the world body that the most basic set of principles must be established and adhered to regarding human rights, the interests of the Kashmiris themselves, and the preservation of vital interests that both India and Pakistan have at stake, and then to proceed with steps toward objectives that result in a win-win solution for all. Dr. Fai elucidated that the response by the world powers, including the United States to the Kashmiri situation must be based on the principles of the right of a people with a distinct historical and cultural identity to decide their own future; the sanctity of international agreements worked out by the United Nations; a peaceful and stable subcontinent free from the possibility of a regional nuclear exchange; and the consistent application of human rights standards.
Dr. Pir Ali Raza Bukhari, parliamentarian from Azad Kashmir warned that to break the will of the people of Indian occupied Kashmir, India has deployed over 900,000 soldiers fully armed and with unlimited powers under the draconian Kashmir specific laws. The leadership of the Kashmiri political resistance movement and human right activists are incarcerated on frivolous charges and lodged in notorious prisons under sub-human conditions. The ultimate goal is to convert Indian Occupied Kashmir into a Hindu majority state with a long turn plan to achieve favorable outcome in case plebiscite is held in the future.
Sardar Sawar Khan, former Advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said that the deplorable situation in Kashmir is unacceptable. Kashmir is the most dangerous nuclear hotspot on the planet. Sardar Sawar Khan added that the laws made by Indian parliament does not apply to Kashmir which is not the integral part of any member state of the UN but an internationally recognized disputed territory.
Dr. Amerjit Singh, President, Khalistan Affairs Center said that India’s Modi led regime is now exposed that it is committing crimes against humanity not only inside India but beyond. The whole world watched when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on September 18, 2023, on the floor of the Canadian Parliament the extrajudicial murder of the Sikh Canadian leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir said that today, Kashmir has become literally the most dangerous place on earth. Indian forces have been given the totally immunity under the draconian laws which must be repealed immediately for the sake of international peace and security.
Sardar Zubair khan said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been demanding the right of self-determination for the last more than seven decades. India responds with bullets, pellet guns to silence the peaceful movement of liberation.
Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan Khan said that abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A was designed to crush the freedom movement in Kashmir. But world powers cannot deny the fact that the Kashmir issue has an international sanctity.
Sardar Aftab Khan said that it is high time that we try to make a constructive departure. The best point for doing so is to restore the focus where it originally belonged and where it still rests logically viz: the rights and interests of the people of Kashmir itself.
Sardar Haleem Khan, President JKLF, North America expressed his frustration by saying that India cannot sweep all this under the galicha. The truth is too painfully obvious. Isn’t it time that world powers ask the people of Kashmir what they really want?
Sardar Taj Khan, Vice Chairman, Kashmir Mission, USA appealed to the conscience of Biden Administration that trade and commercial deals are important but not at the expense of the high moral ground.
Maqsood Chughtai expressed serious concern over the silence of the world powers over the semi genocidal situation in Kashmir. He said that Genocide Watch has testified before the US Congress that there is a potential of genocide both in India as well as in Kashmir.
Advocate Imtiaz Khan Garalvi explained that the right of self-determination which was promised to the people of Kashmir needs to be fulfilled. The Kashmir dispute has no military solution. It can only be resolved through peaceful negotiations between all parties concerned.
Ms. Madina Amber said that the international attention is now focused on Kashmir, and she called for unity among people as they push for freedom from the Indian yoke. She said that the world powers have the moral duty to intervene to bring justice and peace to the people of Kashmir who are being systematically brutalized by the Indian fascist regime.
Raja Razzak warned that the nation of Kashmir faces an existential threat from the aggressive Hindu Nationalist regime which is based on Hitler and Mussolini’s Nazi ideology.
Aftab Shah demanded the implementation of the United Nations resolution on Kashmir so that the people of Kashmir can exercise their right to self-determination.
Choudhary M. Ishaq said that whole nation of Azad Kashmir is standing with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir and will keep exposing the atrocities and brutalities of Indian fascist PM Narender Modi.
Raja Mukhtar of JKLF said that fascist Modi government is committing genocide of Kashmiris and the Indian army is fabricating stories of oppression and barbarism and the civilized world does not utter a word of condemnation.
Khawaja Farooq said that the atrocities committed on the peace-loving people of Kashmir are continuing unabated. Thousands of women have been gang raped, not to talk of mass graves and children who have been blinded by pellet gun wounds. The silence of the world powers cannot be explained.
Sardar Sajid Sawar said that Modi terrorizes his neighbors and has subjugated people of Kashmir.
Sufi Nazir said, “We ask the people of the world to stand up and speak up for the freedom of Kashmir.
A memorandum, signed by Kashmiri diaspora leadership, was submitted to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, saying that the denial of the right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir is a great threat to the international peace and security and that non resolution of Kashmir dispute has brought both India and Pakistan to the brink of nuclear catastrophe,” The memorandum was signed by all the speakers.
