Letter to Ambassadors in UK by JKLF Diplomatic Committee
October 2014
Dear Ambassador,
Sub: Quest for a peaceful and democratic solution of the Kashmir issue; a sincere and humble appeal for support.
Excellency through you, we solicit your Government’s valuable support and constructive intercession for a peaceful and democratic solution of the long standing unresolved conflict in Jammu Kashmir- commonly referred to as Kashmir between India, Pakistan and the 20 million people of Kashmir.
We are confident that your Government will not hesitate to exert and assert its powerful voice in search for a just peaceful resolution of the conflict and for this noble objective, will forth-rightly engage within relevant international fora and, indeed directly with the Governments of India and Pakistan. Furthermore, we take this opportunity to seek your support for our inherent, inalienable and internationally recognised right to self-determination and a democratically arrived at political status of a reunified Jammu and Kashmir of our democratic choice.
We strongly reiterate that Kashmir issue should not be seen as a dispute merely between India and Pakistan as over the years it has quite erroneously come to be seen. People of Kashmir have been rendered invisible in this Indo- Pakistan dimension over the issue.
Whatever the claims and counter claims, and the entrenched positions of both countries, the solution of the issue in our considered view remains vested in the democratic will of 20 million Kashmiris. The locus of Kashmiris in the future status of the forcibly divided Jammu Kashmir has not only been recognised by the United Nations but also by India itself.
An example of such Indian recognition is cited herein regarding just one of the many solemn pledges that India made on the question of Kashmir’s future political status when on 1st January 1948 she took the matter to the United nations and declared: “ that the question of Kashmir’s future status vis-a vis its neighbours and the world at large and the question on whether Kashmir should withdraw from her accession to India, and either accede to Pakistan or remain independent with a right to claim admission as a member of the UN all this we have recognised to be a matter for unfettered decision by the people of Kashmir after normal life is restored to them” UNSC document Agenda 227.
Unfortunately however India no longer cares for the commitments and pledges that she made in respect of Kashmir’s future political dispensation both to Kashmiris and to the world community at the United Nations. Successive Indian Governments have not only reneged on these pledges, India today refuses even to recognise that a popular struggle for justice, democracy and freedom prevails in Kashmir. Instead the genuine popular sentiments and aspirations of Kashmiris to exercise their free will and reunification of the forcibly divided Kashmir are associated with the so- called ‘proxy’ war, extremism or terrorism. Nothing can be further from the reality.
The truth however is that we seek peacefully to reunify our forcibly divided country- which is de-facto under Indian and Pakistani control- and ensure that instead of being a perpetual bone of contention, Kashmir becomes a bridge of peace between India and Pakistan.
At present Kashmiri is one of the most militarised regions of the world. India alone has over half a million regular military personnel deployed along the Line of Control-LoC- across backed up by tens of thousands of paramilitary forces which are stationed in cities and towns rural areas of Indian occupied part of
Kashmir. Pakistan too has heavy deployment of its troops on the LoC The eye-ball to eye-ball deployment of huge number of forces of both countries antagonistic to each other has made it impossible for ordinary Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC to lead normal life. They face daily dangers to life, limb and property as flare ups between the opposing forces are a daily occurrence.
As both countries are nuclear powers such aggressive deployment and an absence of a viable and just solution of the Kashmir issue renders the situation fraught with incalculable and catastrophic consequences even to contemplate not only for South Asia but for the entire world.
Tens of thousands of Kashmiri families remain divided and are unable to meet each-other in times of grief and joy. Those who are lucky enough to obtain visas have to navigate unfathomable beauracratic hurdles on both sides. This is a state of affairs that should not and must not prevail in a modern world of 2014 and, would not be accepted or tolerated anywhere else. This is exactly why the ‘Iron Curtain’ collapsed in the west. We seek the same through peaceful exercise of our right of self-determination regarding the Line of Control.
Leadership of the JKLF is totally committed to making Kashmir a bridge of peace between India and Pakistan as a considered party policy and a long standing national objective. We believe that a free and sovereign Kashmir will truly become a peaceful bridge between India and Pakistan and is the vital proverbial key that unlocks the tremendous potential of both countries for the region and the world. Twenty million people of forcibly divided Jammu Kashmir will also reap the dividends of such a peace and prosperity.
Excellency we seek your government’s active support for our peaceful struggle in unlocking this potential for India , Pakistan, Kashmiris and the rest of the world. We anticipate and indeed seek your vitally important role in persuading the concerned parties and in particular Indian Government to seek a people centric solution in Kashmir through the good will of the international community and many friends of both India and Pakistan, and through a frank and objective interaction and negotiation process with Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.
We further hope that you will support us in our efforts to maintain interaction with you on matters of mutual interest for furtherance of peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict.
In this regard we would appreciate it very much if your excellency would accede to our humble request for a meeting to further elaborate on our approach to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and that, - in near future your excellency or appropriate members of your mission will participate in our seminar/ workshops on finding a way forward to lasting and equitable peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue and peace and prosperity for South Asia.
With Anticipation and warm regards
Prof. Zafar Khan
Chairman Diplomatic Bureau
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front-JKLF-
London Secretariat:
119-123 Cannon Street Road,
(Basement North)
London, E1 2LX
Email: zafargk@aol.com
Phone: 0795 6400 834
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