Washington, DC. February 10. Hundreds of Kashmiri Americans and ‘friends of Kashmir’ staged a huge demonstration in front of the White House.
Raising slogans: “Indian Forces: Out of Kashmir”, “No justice: No Peace” , “Freedom for all: Freedom for Kashmir”, “India State of Fear: Not Fair”, demonstrators urged the United States to help persuade India and Pakistan to initiate peace process along with the leadership of the people of Kashmir.
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary-General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum said that it is clear that resolving Kashmir dispute requires a careful evaluation of its many points of contention and addressing them one by one in a carefully drawn-out process in which coming to an agreement on each, sets the stage for moving on to the next. 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. Fai paid glowing tribute to Afzal Guru and Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. He said that Maqbool Bhat was an iconic and charismatic leader who struggled tirelessly for the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Bhat’s selfless contribution to the cause of Kashmir will inspire generations to come. Fai quoted Arundhati Roy who wrote in ‘The Daily Guardian’, on 10 February 2013, “now he (Afzal Guru) has been hanged, I hope our (India’s) collective conscience has been satisfied. Or is our cup of blood still only half full?”
Barrister Sultan Mehmood Choudhary, former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said that the resolution of Kashmir issue could have enabled both Pakistan and India to spend their finite resources more on the development of their people rather than on defense expenditure. He expressed his admiration to the Pakistani and Kashmiri American community for being the ambassadors of peace in the United States for the cause of Kashmir. Given a chance, Kashmiris could be instrumental to encourage peace and stability not only in the subcontinent but in Afghanistan as well. As many experts of international relations now publicly say that the key to peace and stability in Afghanistan lies in Kashmir. Barrister added one cannot deal with the tensions between India and Pakistan without simultaneously addressing the bone of contention of these tensions – that is Kashmir. He said that the United States has a moral responsibility to persuade both India and Pakistan to settle the Kashmir conflict through meaningful dialogue.
Professor Imtiaz Khan, President, Kashmiri American Council said, “People of Kashmir gave a resounding rebuff to Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Kashmir. He was greeted with empty streets and shuttered shops, which was even reported by Indian press. Total closure was observed to convey to him the feelings of people of Kashmir. This clearly showed that people of Kashmir have rejected Indian occupation and expressed unequivocally their desire to take their struggle to its logical conclusion. Khan also emphasized that Kashmiris are giving huge sacrifices for attaining freedom and it is the obligation of the diaspora and all other people who share their sentiments to educate the masses in United States and other countries about Kashmir problem and ongoing atrocities in that region.”
