THE TRUTH CANNOT BE CONCEALED
Sentimental
and religious exploiting
For
last fifty years Pakistan rulers and Politicians made people sentimental on the
basis of religion and Kashmir, but there is an old English adage “You cannot
fool all the people all the time.” This applies to Pakistan`s politicians and
its efforts to fool the people of Kashmir right from the time of its creation
in 1947. However, the time has come not only to expose Pakistani ruler`s
designs and to reveal it`s real intentions to the people of Kashmir. Pakistan`s
sincerity towards kashmiris has always been dictated only by one factor to
enslave the people of Kashmir. To achieve this goal it has not hesitated in
labeling any Kashmiri who has dared to defy it either as an “Indian agent” or
an “Enemy of Islam.”
Pakistan`s
ruler class labeled Maqbool Butt, the martyr, as an Indian agent because he struggled
for an independent Kashmir. This allegation was also leveled in the past
against Khan Wali Khan and the Awami National Party (ANP) however; the same
party was allowed to come to power not in the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP) but also as an alliance partner with the Pakistan Muslim league (N) in
the National Assembly. But now, again Khan Wali Khan`s party is traitor of
Pakistan, because of Pakhtoonkhawa issue. Jam Sadiq and Mustafa Khar were
subjected to similar propaganda and
Khar`s wife was forced to write a book against her husband. Despite these
allegations Jam Sadiq was made Chief Minister of Sind and Mustafa Khar was inducted in the
Federal cabinet Pakistan`s rulers together with the Armed Forces and the
bureaucracy are concerned only with self aggrandizement and are scared of the
truth and want to put it under cover. They imposed Urdu
on the people of East Pakistan and thus initiated the process of separation. In
1971 as 90,000 of the Pakistan Army`s elite troops were about to surrender
while, President Yayha Khan was speaking of a “Thousand Years Jehad”! An expedition in Baluchistan was justified
and so was the massacre of the Sindhis this justified. A military operation in
1954 against the people of Poonch was described as a fight between” Musalmans
and Sudhans” and justified as an “action for Islam.” The ruling troika
comprising the political masters, the Armed Forces and the bureaucracy is
plundering Pakistan and any person who dare state this is promptly labeled an
“Indian Agent.” It’s no use circumventing the truth. The Western countries have
progressed because they admit their weaknesses and faulty policies and do not
go around branding critics as “foreign agents”. One should argue logically and
not resort to false accusations or intimidations. Emotions, sentiments and half
truths cannot conceal logic, truth and facts of history.
Politics
is Worship
I
have never inducted the element of personal suffering or Pakistan`s
abominations one me or my family. For me, struggling for the rights of the
peoples is “Worship”. The Pakistani bureaucracy refused a visa to my wife. She was anxious to attend to her
ailing m other and be with her sisters and brothers at a critical time. Yet her
compassionate plea fell on deaf ears. Even the staunchest of my adversary knows
that my wife is in no way interested in
politics and is nothing more than a loving mother and housewife. And yet she is
being made a scapegoat for my courage to challenge the policy makers of
Pakistan to come up with the truth on Kashmir. We did appeal for justice
directly to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but there is no response. At the same
time, the Indian Embassy in Islamabad has since 1969 refused to issue a visa to
my sister even on the death of my mother. She has not seen her father, brothers
or sisters since the last twenty eight years. Till date we have never taken any
step against Pakistan`s interests or against the interests of her people. As
the saying goes we have” not disturbed a brick lying on the road.” And yet
Pakistan has destroyed Karachi, drilled holes into people`s bodies with boring
machines and destroyed mosques. It has even gone to the extent of encouraging
violence in religious areas so much that parents dissuade their children from
praying in mosques lest they should become victims of sectarian
“entrepreneurs.”
There
was a time when I shared the same blind emotions about Pakistan, which many
sentimental Kashmiris do today. In 1969, while visiting Pakistan for the first
time at the Ganda singh border, I bowed and kissed the land. The Pakistan
Ranger on duty looked genuinely surprised and asked me what I was doing. I
explained that Pakistan was the “Mecca and Madina” for us to which he reacted”Kocha,
when you go in and see this “Mecca and Madina” your dreams will shatter’
Pakistan may be the “Macca and Madina” of its feudal lords, its Army Generals
and its bureaucrats but it is certainly not the “Promised Land” for the Muslim
of the sub-continent. This truth cannot be countered by leveling accusations
and making personal attacks.
Hijacking
in1971
The
hijacking of the “Ganga” in 1971 was planned entirely by Maqbool Butt, the
leader of the National Liberation Front. Pakistan`s Army and bureaucracy used
it against us to give it a label of an “Indian Conspiracy. If at all there was
a conspiracy, it was a Pakistan design against the rising nationalism and the
liberation struggle in Kashmir. The hijacking of the Ganga took place in
January 1971 when Shiekh Mujibur Rehman won the elections. When the rulers of
Pakistan postponed the session of the National Assembly, turmoil ensured in
East Pakistan. There is no doubt that India disallowed Pakistani flights over
her air space but till December 3- 1971, these flights were being routed via
Colombo. In fact unrestricted Pakistani flights over Indian Territory had been
stopped in 1965 itself. Thereafter any aircraft flying from West Pakistan to
East Pakistan needed India`s permission before it took off. Moreover, India
could ask any Pakistani aircraft flying over its air space to land for a check.
Pakistani officials of the civil aviation department clarified this during the
hearing of the Special Court on the Ganga hijacking case. This and other such
evidence clearly shows yet another attempt on the part of Pakistan`s rulers of
concealing the truth. The truth was that Pakistan`s ruling class looked for
scapegoats to escape that wrath of the people on losing its eastern province.
USA
used Pakistan.
Since
its creation, Pakistan has acted as a “front line” state of the US. The US used
it in the early 1950s to spy against the Soviet Union and in the 1980`s for
arming and training the Afghan Mujahideen. The Taliban is a creation of
Pakistan with US and Saudi backing. The US is also currently using Pakistan to
control the “evil” Iranians. Pakistan is also important for protecting American
economic interests in the newly opened Central Asian Republics. And more
importantly, the US needs Pakistan “watching” China and possibly use it for
promoting unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang. This is the reason why the US refuses
to categorize Pakistan as a “terrorist state” despite open knowledge that a
large number of Islamic fundamentalist organizations in the Middle East and
North Africa have received their initial baptism in Pakistan. The killings in
Algeria and Egypt are a result of this exercise. And yet the US terms Pakistan
as a “moderate” Islamic state. Iran and Libya have been punished by the US for
lesser “crimes” and categorized as “terrorist state”. Iran’s moral support for
the Hezbollah is seen as promoting “terrorism” but Pakistan`s open funding,
training and equipping of the Taliban was initially welcome as “positive
development” for stability in Afghanistan. Libya continues to be regarded as a
pariah, by the US and its allies only because it refuses to hand over the
alleged accused of the Lockerbie case. The truth is that Pakistan is ready to scarify
its own people as it did in the case of Amin Kansi to please its American
masters.
Revolt
against the ISI Game Plan
Pakistan
has always been inimical towards any form of Kashmiri nationalism. My
experiences with Pakistan`s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) would prove my
contention. As Organizing Chairman of the J&K Liberation Front, in 1984-
1985, I was involved in a dialogue with the ISI. I was leading a team of JKLF`s
leading activists, which comprised Dr. Farooq Haider, late Sardar Rashid
Harasat and Zubir-ul-Haq. After four months of intense discussions with the
ISI, I refused to become the “Kotedar” the supplier of sheep for the butcher
for the ISI`s grand game plan. The ISI wanted us to bring Kashmiri youth from
across the border so that they could be used as gun fodder against the Indian
security forces. My conscience refused to even consider such a scenario and I
revolted against the very ideas. Moreover, I did not consider Azad Kashmir and
the Northern Areas of Gilgit and Baltistan as free. There were also fears that
the ISI would backtrack on its tall promises and succeed only in ensuring
genocide of the Kashmiris with the Indian Army as Pakistan did with the
Benagalis in East Pakistan in 1971.
I
did not want to be part of any such game plan and walked out of the
negotiation. Unfortunately others fell for the ISI trap and my fears proved
correct years later, thereafter, the ISI started targeting me in every
conceivable way. I was asked to surrender my Pakistani passport and Identity
Card an action against which Justice Yousuf Saraf filed a write in the High
Court in Rawalpindi. An attempt was made at my life when I was driving with my
friend and our vehicle was pushed into a gorge near Pelanderi. It was at this stage that my Pakistani
friends and well- wishers advised me to leave Pakistan, which I did in 1986. I
was part of the political struggle for independence, which could not go beyond
setting up an office and publishing literature as we lacked funds. The
Kalashnikov culture came later with large scale Pakistani funding. Weapons of
all kinds were freely distributed to Kashmir youth brought into the training
camps by the self-styled “nationalists”. These “nationalists” were promptly discarded
once their utility was over and Amanullah Khan was offered a golden hand shake
by the ISI and Yasin Malik recognized as the Chairman of the JKLF. To ensure
that nationalism of any kind would be wiped out from Kashmir, the ISI raised
pro- Pakistan groups and encouraged them to fight the same nationalists whom
they had supported. Selective killings of leading nationalists in the streets
of Srinagar carried clear messages for the people. Maqbool Malik`s eyes were gouged out; Indeed, it is
ironical that this same group of “nationalists” who had been armed and trained
by Pakistan soon started speaking of a civil disobedience movement. Looking
back at these events I feel confident in stating the truth that I have not been
responsible or instrumental in any way in the killing of any Kashmiri. Will the
policy makers of Pakistan make a similar acknowledgement?
We
Don`t Need Guns!
I
have always maintained that we don`t need guns in Kashmir. In 1992 I had
reiterated my stand during an argument with Dr. Gulam Qadir Wani. Dr. Gulam
Nabi Fai was present as it was his office that a heated debate on Kashmir was
going on. A couple of years later, Dr. Wani wrote a letter of apology stating
“You experience was right and we were wrong.” At no stage should anyone get the
impression that I am a coward or am afraid to hold a gun. Fortunately I have
been blessed with enough physical and mental courage and my deeds have proved
this fact. I would like to remind those who make such frivolous accusations
that my younger brother Iqbal Qureshi and cousin Altaf qureshi who later became
a martyr had introduced the JKLF by throwing a bomb in Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar
on 15 August 1983, in presence of a heavy security build up. It was an act
reminiscent of Bhagat Singh`s action in the Central Assembly in 1929. Their intention
was not to kill anyone. For these actions Iqbal and Altaf languished in jail
while some of the present Jamat-e-Islam leaders were busy taking oaths owing
allegiance to India. Maybe this opportunity should be taken to tell the people
of Kashmir that in those very days a present day leader of All Party Hurriyat
Conference was a congress Minister. Today he is the staunchest supporter of
Kashmir`s accession with Pakistan, for over two years Altaf and Iqbal were
imprisoned resulting in acute mental agony which in turn was the main reason for the
death of our mother due to a brain hemorrhage. Iqbal was refused to attend his
mother`s burial by Dr. Farooq Abdullah. It was the first instance when a
political prisoner was denied parole in such accentuating circumstances.
Civil
Disobedience Movement.
Many
leading names among the activist in the current struggle are products of the
struggle started by Iqbal Qureshi and Altaf Qureshi. We did understand the
implication of taking arms from Pakistan at that time and this reason why we
rejected the gun culture, Instead we need to launch a civil disobedience movement.
The Indian security forces would find it difficult to justify killing in such
an event. Till date India has not been able to provide any reasons for the
massacres in Bijbehara, Hawal. Sopore
and Chota Bazar only because the protesters were unarmed. Even international
support will be forthcoming if a peaceful “intifada” is launched to touch the
conscience of the people. On the other hand any intensification of a armed
conflict will only strengthen India`s case of comparing the Kashmir terrorist
with his brethren in Algeria and Egypt. Is Pakistan willing to accept this fact
or will it still call it Indian propaganda?
Movement`s
Decline
Of
the many factors for the decline of the ongoing movement in Kashmir, I shall
refer two as these are integral to Pakistan`s strategy in Kashmir. The first is
armed militancy, which has taken the form of open gun wielding. This form of
terrorism has which replaced civil disobedience has become the bane of Kashmiri
nationalism. Secondly the deliberate policy of fragmenting the liberation
movement into 156 groups so that none of the groups are strong enough to set
independence as a goal. Instead “integration” with Pakistan becomes the
objective. A combination of the two factors results in the lethal strife for
domination and ends up in the deaths of thousands of Kashmiri youth. The lack
of unity amongst the militant groups has also given an opportunity to the
Indian security forces and the intelligence agencies to exploit the differences
to their advantage.
Kuka
Parray`s Story?
The
case of Kuka Parray clearly proves my contention. I have always condemned each
action of Kuka Parrey and his cohorts who have been responsible for the murders
of large number of Kashmiri youth. I am sure that true nationalists will never
condone Kuka`s actions or forgive him for the damage caused to the freedom
struggle. However we should also be prepared to accept the realities, which
created Kuka Parrey. The truth is that Kuka Parrey was initially member of the
Jammu & Kashmir students Liberation Front (JKSLF) and had received training
in Pakistan. The JKSLF has a strong base amongst the local populace in Safapora
(Sumbal) area. However the Hizbul Mujahideen, the armed wing of the
Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) wanted to dominate this locality and kidnapped and killed
the JKSLF Deputy Commander, Manzoor Nabdi. Nabdi`s popularity among the people
led a strong protest resulting in a three month strike. Further the people
demanded that the All Party Hurriat Conference (APHC) should punish the Nabdi`s
assassins. The APHC constituted an enquiry committee and the report submitted by
the committee held the Hizbul Mujahideen squarely responsible for the dastardly
act. The APHC`s committee also recommended punishment for the offenders but it
was never implanted.
HM helps
Indian Security Forces?
Intoxicated
by power and confident that its might would never be challenged, the Hizbul
Mujahideen commenced a systematic elimination of leaders from all groups
including JKLF, Al Jihad and Al Mujahideen. I warned the JEI to refrain from
these killings as it would force Kshmiri youth to take shelter with the Indian
security forces and this is what has exactly happened. The Indians immediately
used this opportunity and armed Kuka parray and his comrades. This led to the
formation of the Ikhwanul Muslimoon, an organization born out of vendetta. It
sole objective was complete annihilation of the Hizbul Mujahideen. It was a
complete proxy war with one group being backed by Pakistan and the other by
India. While there was no winner, the losers were thousands of bereaved
mothers, wives and sisters. Maqbool Malik, an upright political thinker of the
JKLF was kidnapped and killed by the hizbul Mujahideen and his eyes were gauged
out. Qazi Nisar was murdered and his family provided names of his killer but to
no avail. This gives rise to a pertinent question could the Kashmiri leadership
by asking Pakistan not to encourage the inter group strife, prevented the
proliferation of the Kuka Parray`s in the Valley? These were the same young men
who had braved the harsh climate and snow clad mountains to cross into Pakistan
to receive training. The Hizbul Mujahideen hunted them down one by one. There
are many among the pro-accession sections such as Bilal Lod, and Babar Badr who
were forced to leave the valley and cool their heels in Delhi. Therefore any
courageous, reasonable and right thinking person in Kashmir would then endorse
my statement. That Kuka Parrey was made “Kuka Parrey” by the Hizbul Mujahideen.
This is the truth.
Pakistan`s
Sincerity and Islamic world`s Attitude!
Is
Pakistan really sincere with the Kashmiris? This question is raised repeatedly
by most involved in the Liberation struggle. I am convinced that Pakistan is
not rendering sincere help to our struggle. Pakistan is concerned only with the
Kashmir region and is willing to let Jammu and Ladakh remain with India. Do
these not provide adequate proof of its intentions? Pakistan`s role in Gilgit
Baltistan and the repeated rejection of the independence option for Kashmir
futher substantiates my argument. However the solution for Kashmir is not an
armed conflict but a peaceful “Intifada”. The international community is also
encouraging the two countries to adopt a peaceful dialogue. Despite the brave
talk of “Ummah” none of the Islamic countries have imposed any economic embargo
on trade with India. On the contrary, some of India`s largest trading partners
are from the Arab world! Even Pakistan is encouraging increase of border trade
with India. But the moment a Kashmiri initiates even an idea of a dialogue with
India. He is promptly dubbed a traitor; therefore the time has also come for
Pakistan to stop meddling in the affairs of Kashmir. The ISI and its creations
have done enough damage in Kashmir.
Jamaat-e-
Islami says no more Armed Struggle?
Indeed,
it is ironical the Jammat-e-Islami (JEI) which has been instrumental in the
killing s of thousands has now decided to disassociate the objective of Armed
struggle, the JEI has recently said that it would not support any form of armed
militancy. Even though I am inclined to accept this statement with a pinch of
salt as an optimist, I hope they are sincere and hail it as step in the right
direction, however I should remind the JEI`s rank and file that I have since
1990 stressed on the need to launch a civil disobedience movement. My suggestions
had raised a hornet`s nest then be the same people who are today talking of
rejecting armed militancy.
There are pretty three types of
groups in Kashmir. These are (a) True nationalists seeking full freedom and
independence of entire J&K (b) those who advocate accession with Pakistan
(C) pro Indian groups. The formation of the Ladak Development Council, a body
created with the objective of economic development in the region came in for
severe criticism from the pro- Pakistan groups. They condemned it as a move to
separate Ladakh from J&K. why is that these groups do not demand the return
of Gilgit Baltistan? Are they showing their loyalty to their masters? Can they
then deny that the sole objective of Operation Topac launched by Pakistan`s
rulers was to annex the valley so that they could control the water resources?
Are Pakistan`s defense needs more important than the integrity of their
homeland? The truth is that these groups have sold their conscience in return
for the temporary favours received from Pakistan. It is unfortunate that their
vision has become so clouded that they are unable perceive Pakistan`s true
intentions. On the other hand, true nationalists in J&K would fight till
the end to ensure that there are no divisions along either religious or ethnic
lines. Nobody wants Kashmir to become a Bosnia or an Afghanistan.
During my struggle I have been labeled as
an “Indian stooge” and as a Pakistan agent. At other time I have been branded
as a “Criminal” and “traitor”. It has not dampened my enthusiasm and zeal to
work towards the golden objective of independence of my motherland. My
conscience is clear that I have always worked against the interests of these
two countries, which are bent on enslaving us. This is the truth. If expression
of this truth is a “crime” ten I am proud to be termed a “criminal” I appeal to
the people of J&K to come out openly and state the truth. It may imperil
our lives but truth shall prevail!
This article is published in my book "Kashmir: The unveiling of
truth", 1998
