Author: Hari Om
Publication: Organiser
Date: November 9, 2003
(The author is Dean, Faculty of
Social Sciences, University of Jammu, and Member, Indian Council of Historical
Research.)
The people of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir
(PoK) and Northern Territories (NT) are up in arms against Islamabad. Some
of the major political formations that are actively involved in the anti-Pakistan
crusade include Shabir Choudhry's Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF),
Abdul Hamid Khan's Balawaristan National Front (BNF), Mumtaz Mohammad Khan's
Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation (AAPSO), Dr Syed Nazir Gilani's
International Kashmir Association (IKA) and Mir Mohammad's European Union
of Public Relations (EUPR). Each one of these outfits is reiterating again
and again the demand in favour of a dispensation that empowers the people
of PoK and NT to shape and control fully their political and eocnomic future
outside the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In fact, leaders of all these
parties, without any exception, repeateldy say that self-rule is their
motto, their watchword and their battle-cry and that the people of the
occupied areas do not want to have any kind of truck with Pakistan. The
upshot of their whole campaign is that the Pakistani ruling elite has only
reduced the inhabitants of these areas to a nullity for all practical purposes.
Another refrain of theirs is that the Pakistani rulers have established
in their own homeland a political system under which their lfie is not
one of political and eocnomic aspirations but of mute penury and toil.
It needs to be noted that it is
not for the first time that the occupied areas are witnessing popular revolts
against Pakistan. The people of these areas have been expressing themselves
against the Pakistani establishment and its policies from time to time
ever since 1948. It was in December 1948 that the then Indian Prime Minister
ordered ceasefire to bring the Pakistan-sponsored war on J&K to an
end. It was this action that dumbfounded the Indian Army in the sense that
it had the Pakistani invaders-regular and irregular-on the run but the
ceasefire enabled Pakistan to retain control over a considerable portion
of J&K territories it had captured after pillage and murder.
Whatever the Indian Prime Minister
did under no situation could be interpreted as an act of farsighted statesmanship.
In fact, it was the biggest blunder on his part. And, it is because of
this folly that the people of PoK and NT are paying the price, with the
Pakistani rulers perpetrating all sorts of barbarities on them and making
their life "a hell". It is indeed difficult to overlook the conclusion
that he alone is responsible for the pitiable condition of these people.
Just ask the anti-India and pro-Pakistan
elements in the India-administered Kashmir to compare the life of the people
of the so-called Azad Kashmir (PoK) and NT with the one they enjoy under
the Indian Constitution and they will find the difference. Take, for example,
the political life of the people of PoK. The people of PoK and the political
parties that operate there simply cannot criticise Islamabad. Part 2 of
Section 7 of the Constitution of PoK clearly says: "No person or political
party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate, or take
part in, activities prejudicial to the ideology of the State's accession
to Pakistan."
The people of PoK have a sham legislative
assembly and anybody who wishes to contest election to it has, according
to the JKLF Chairman Amanullah Khan, to make a declaration to the effect
that he stands for accession to Pakistan. The legislative assembly has
no power whatsoever to adopt measures keeping into consideration the hopes
and aspirations of the people. The so-called President of PoK is no more
than a puppet of Islamabad. The status of the PoK Prime Minister and his
Council of Ministers is no diferent. They have no power to take decisions
to the happiness and well-being of the people they govern. On the contrary,
they use all brutal methods to crush what they call hostile political elements
and promote the Pakistani cause. It is the Islamabad-appointed Minister
of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (MKANA), who enjoys absolute and
unbridled executive powers. As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister and
his Council of Ministers, like the MKANA, are responsible to Islamabad.
They hold their office so long as they enjoy the confidence of their alien
masters and function strictly as per the directions of the MKANA. Their
only duty is to endorse and implement the decisions of Islamabad and strengthen
its stranglehold over the occupied areas and they discharge this duty religiously
in order to enjoy the loaves and fishes of office and for the sake of personal
power and profit.
It is not for the first time that
the occupied areas are witnessing popular revolts against Pakistan. The
people of these areas have been expressing themselves against the Pakistani
establishment and its policies from time to time ever since 1948.
The legislative assembly of PoK has no power whatsoever to adopt measures
keeping into consideration the hopes and aspirations of the people. The
status of the PoK Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers is no diferent.
No press person can dare comment
on the utter failure of the authorities to cater to the basic requirements
of the enslaved people of PoK. Anyone who musters courage to reflect on
their miseries invites the wrath of Islamabad and its henchmen in PoK.
The story of the press and judiciary in PoK is equally lamentable. Both
these institutions work under heavy restrictions. The judiciary is committed
more to Islamabad than to the hapless and suffering people of PoK. No wonder
the people have lost their faith in this vital institution and left themselves
to god and anarchy. The press is not given any freedom to articulate the
grievances of the people, including their complaints regarding the denial
of civil liberties and gross violation of human rights. Nor is it allowed
to criticise the anti-people and anti-democratic policies and actions of
the power-that-be in PoK and Pakistan, which are all calculated to thwart
and delay indefinitely the realisation of the people's most cherished goal
of a completely responsible government outside Pakistan. Not just this,
no press person can dare comment on the utter failure of the authorities
to cater to the basic requirements of the enslaved people such as healthcare,
education, safe drinking water and power supply. Anyone who musters courage
to reflect on their miseries invites the wrath of Islamabad and its henchmen
in PoK.
The life of the people of the Shia-dominated
NT comprising Hunza, Nagar, Chitral, Gilgit, Balistan, Ishkoman, Bunzi,
Astore, Skardu, Punial, Gopis and so on is even worse. This part of J&K
is directly ruled from Islamabad and in the interest of Pakistan alone.
In fact, these areas stand totally merged with Pakistan through deceit
and against the United Nations' resolutions on J&K. People of these
areas do not have even a sham assembly. They have what is called Northern
Areas Legislative Council (NALC). This Council does not enjoy even those
powers that are exercised by any local body anywhere in Pakistan. This
so-called Legislative Council is presided over by a minister appointed
by Islamabad and he "performs his duties like a king of ancient age". All
the powers-political, economic and administrative-are invested with him.
He can enact any number of laws without consulting the NALC, which can
be dismissed by him "anytime". He can also "employ anybody from Pakistan
as chief of judiciary on contract basis". What sort of administration of
justice this contractor provides is not difficult to imagine.
However, the worst part of the whole
situation is that the people of thse areas, also called Balawaristan, are
treated like slaves. They are "without any constitutional status". According
to the chairman of BNF Abdul Hamid Khan, "The people of Balawaristan are
the poorest in the world, because all of their resources are being usurped
by Pakistan." Though their annual revenue contribution to the Pakistani
exchequer is to the tune of 20 billion rupees, Islamabad spends only Rs.
one billion on NT. A substantial part of this amount is also used to meet
the expenditure on the Pakistani Army stationed there in Balawaristan to
maintain law and order and check fissiparous tendencies there and disburse
salaries to the employees.
The people of Balawaristan have
"no right to file a writ petition in Balawaristan (which is more than 72,000
sq.km in size and houses a population of around two millions) or anywhere
in the world against human rights violations". The truth in the words of
none other than the Chairman of the BNF is that the people of the areas
have "no civil rights" and "no representation in any of the decision-making
forums". They are not even allowed to hold peaceful and orderly demonstrations.
Those who violate this undemocratic restriction are promptly arrested and
put behind the bars for years. As for the press, it does not enjoy any
freedom.
All this should open the eyes of
those in Kashmir who want the State's merger with Pakistan. They should
feel proud that they are part of secular, democratic, liberal, pluralistic
and exceptionally generous India. They should also not forget that they
enjoy full legislative, executive and residuary powers plus power of taxation,
with New Delhi catering to all of their financial needs and other requirements
and giving full freedom to carry on political activities and elect a government
of their own choice. One can only hope and pray that good sense would finally
prevail and outfits like All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Jamait-e-Islami
and Hizbul Mujahideen would give up the cult of violence and help the civil
society lead a peaceful and dignified life. Even otherwise, they have no
other option. India under no situation would allow another partition on
religious lines.
(The author is Dean, Faculty of
Social Sciences, University of Jammu, and Member, Indian Council of Historical
Research.)
