Opinion Maker

Pakistan must highlight Indian atrocities in Kashmir for the world to see

By Brig Asif Haroon Raja

Muslim Kashmiris in Indian held Kashmir (IHK) were quietly undergoing the injustices and high-handedness of India’s handpicked Kashmiri leaders and atrocities of Indian security forces for over four decades.  Their patience broke down when state elections in 1987 were blatantly rigged. It triggered mass agitation and within two years street protests turned into armed resistance. India pumped in 700,000 regular and paramilitary forces in the valley of Kashmir to quell the uprising but failed to do so. When terrorism became the chief concern of USA and the west in the aftermath of 9/11, it gave an opportunity to India to paint Kashmir freedom movement as terrorism duly abetted by Pakistan. Under pressure from the US and India, Gen Musharraf withdrew Pakistan’s moral, diplomatic and political support to the Jihadis in occupied Kashmir and in Azad Kashmir under the misplaced hope that the Kashmir dispute would be resolved through composite dialogue. Pakistan’s laidback approach towards Kashmir diluted the movement to quite an extent, which greatly disillusioned the Kashmiris, particularly the youth.