Kashmir has been on fire for the last three-quarters of a century. We have watched more than 100,00 Kashmiris lose their lives because they asked for their right of self-determination. In 1947 atthe time of partition of sub-continent into India & Pakistan, people of Kashmir decided to accede to Pakistan. However, their ruler decided to annex them with India forcefully against their will. He alsoasked Indian forces to invade the land & occupy it forcefully. A battle was fought at that time between India & Pakistan. Pakistan fought to protect the free will of Kashmiris. Kashmir got divided into Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) & Indian-occupied Kashmir. A Line of Control was drawn between the two sides but many battles have been fought along this LOC by the two countries. India just scraped article 370 of its constitution that allowed the Indian-occupied Kashmir to have a special status & its autonomy as a disputed territory that still needs an internationally- recommended plebiscite to define its permanent standing. India also confined the entire valley with nine million people in a siege under strict curfew. There are around 10,00,000 Indian soldiers in the valley. Many atrocities have been committed. All humanitarian organisations & media houses have been kicked out by India. There is complete lockdown of the valley. People are out of food & medicines. 700 Kashmiri children have been kidnapped by Indian army & tortured. Their screams have been broadcasted in the valley via speakers so that their parents can hear them. Indian authorities have made sex slavery of Kashmiri women legal. Indians are allowed to marry them forcefully. Indians are allowed to buy property in Kashmir now. India is trying to change the demography of Kashmir before the long-awaited plebiscite that it agreed to is done. A combat battle is already being fought between India & Pakistan. Defence Minister of India Rajnath has expressed the possibility of abolishing Indian “no first use” policy on nuclear arsenal. Kashmir is a hot nuclear flashpoint right now. While Pakistan has always chosen the pathway of de-escalation in previous combats to protect the institution of global peace, its peace-building attempts are now being taken for granted & they are actually mis-interpreted as its weakness by India that finds more encouragement by Pakistan’s de-escalation strategy.
