Gilgit Baltistan Protest against the 28th April 1948 Karachi Agreement

On 28th April, the Nationalist groups in Gilgit Baltistan called for a protest against 28th April 1948 agreement between Pakistan and Gilgit. However, 11 leaders from Nationalist groups were made exiled for 90 days from their native cities over night. Local newspaper, daily muhasib, Gilgit Baltistan claimed that the local police raided the houses and hotels where the nationalsits were staying and arrested 11 of them in the midnight in order to prevent the demonstration. Many pro-freedom activists from Azad Kashmir also came to Gilgit Baltistan to take part in the demonstration.

However, today another emergency meeting was organized by Karakaram National Movement (KNM). In the meeting the main issue that was discussed was against the exile of KNM leaders including chairman Farzandan Karakaram, Wajahat Hussain, Nadir Hussain as well as some prominent leaders of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Secretary General of KNM, Afsar Jan Watan Yar said that making the nationalist exile is a crack dawn against the nationalist groups and he further said that the people of Gilgit Baltistan sacrificed their lives for Pakistan and today the consequence of our sacrifices is only injustice, we don’t have the freedom of expression he said.

Secretary General of KNM, Afsar Jan Watan Yar rejected 28th April 1948 Karachi agreement and said that the agreement is not valid as the people of gilgit were not given the right of self determination and this agreement was not done according to their will. He said that exiled members should be allowed back to Baltistan immedialtely or else the government and the administrator will be responsible for the consequences.

Shabana Bashir
shabana@KashmirPage.com

Brutality still haunts peaceful demonstrators in Srinagar and more highlights from today

In occupied Kashmir today, at least 5 more persons were injured as a result of when Indian policemen and paramilitary CRPF troopers resorted to baton charge and fired tear smoke canisters to disperse pro-freedom demonstrations in different parts of Srinagar.


The demonstrations erupted after the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, left Reshi Masjid, Habba Kadal, where a Seerat Majlis was organized.

As soon as Mirwaiz left, massive demonstrations were staged by youth near Habba Kadal chowk. It was reported that the police and paramilitary troopers used force to quell them. The troopers charged towards a youth who jumped in the river to save himself. Onlooker said that he was later fished out by some local women from the river.

Moreover, the protests later spilled over to other localities including Kani Kadal, Kral Khud and Chinkra Mohalla.

Furthermore, veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, urged United Nations and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to impress upon India to stop human rights’ abuses in the territory.

Referring to the killings of innocent Kashmiris at Keller and Sopore, Gilani said, "Such incidents have become a routine in the territory. India has started war against the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir."

On the other hand, a trooper of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) tried to commit suicide. The head constable Duli Chand who was in duty in Janbazpora area of Baramulla, shot himself with his service weapon. After hearing the firing, panic gripped the area when people started running for safety, but after some time, the BSF trooper was found lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately taken to district hospital Baramulla wherefrom he was referred to a Srinagar hospital in a critical condition.

Adding more to the story, Abdul Gani Goni, 47, an innocent Kashmiri who spent 14 years in prison and was accused of 1996 Nagar blast case by New Delhi court has been charged for another false case. He is now booked for the case for triggering an explosion in Rajasthan, at a time when he was behind bars.







Brutality still haunts peaceful demonstrators in Srinagar and more highlights from today

Troops kill father of 7 daughters

* Protests Rock Keller

* 2 Army Vehicles Torched

* 4 Protesters Wounded

* Police Register Murder Case

The army troopers on Saturday shot dead a civilian and critically injured another near Keller, nearly 60 kms south of Srinagar. The killing triggered violent anti-army protests with demonstrators setting ablaze two army vehicles. Troopers later opened fire on protesters injuring at least four civilians.


According to the residents of Chewan village, troopers of 53 Rashrtriya Rifles had laid an ambush in the area last night. “The army fired at labourers who had gone to forest to collect the firewood just before dawn. One of them, Ghulam Muhammad Kalas, died on the spot, another Manzoor Ahmad Lone sustained critical injuries while their another associate fled from the scene,” locals told Greater Kashmir.

“They almost emptied their guns on them,” they said. “Two horses they were riding were also hit by bullets and were lying dead on the spot.”

Police have claimed that the deceased and his associates were “timber smugglers,” but locals termed police version as a “blatant lie.”

“They were labourers who had gone to collect the firewood. Had army asked them to stop they would have definitely followed the instructions. It is a cold blooded murder,” they said. Locals also raised the point why police was not accompanying the army if it had laid an ambush for militants.

VIOLENT PROTESTS

As soon as the word about Kalas’ death in army firing spread in the area, youth took to streets and staged a massive anti-army protest. The angry protesters also set ablaze two army vehicles parked on the midst of the road leading to the village. The protesters were demanding action against the erring army personnel.

Troopers later fired on the protesters injuring four youth, two of them critically. The injured were identified as Yawar Maqbool Lone, Riyaz Ahmad Mir, Muhammad Ahsan Lone and Manzoor Ahmad Lone—all residents of Chewan.

MURDER CASE AGAINST ARMY

The Superintendent of Police, Shopian, Shahid Me’raj said, the deceased along with his two other associates was returning home after dumping the “smuggled timber” at some place.

“When they reached near Chewan, troopers who had laid ambush in the area, suspected them as militants and challenged them. They tried to run away following which troopers opened fire killing one of them on the spot and injuring his other associate”.

He said police have registered a murder case (FIR. No. 168/10) against Army under section 302 RPC.

Asked about the army firing on the protesters, he said: “Protesters set ablaze two army vehicles following which troopers had to fire in self-defence.”

Police have also registered an FIR No 169/2010 under section 148, 147, 435 RPC against the protesters for taking law into their hands.

ARMY VERSION

Army’s Srinagar-based spokesman, Lt Col J S Brar said, “As per our inputs we had information about the presence of militants in the area and we had laid an ambush at around 4:00 am in the area. On seeing some persons riding on the horses, our men got suspicious and asked them to stop but despite our repeated warnings they tried to run away, forcing us to suspect them as militants and open fire on them.”

However, he denied the allegations that the army men fired on the protesters. “Troops did not open fire despite mob torching two of our vehicles. We don’t know who fired on them. Police and the officials of the district administration were present on the spot.”

DC SPEAKS

The Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, Abdul Majid Khanday, admitted that the army was involved in the killings, “There is no need to order magisterial probe as the army has admitted that its men are involved. A murder case has been registered against the army and the law will take its own course.”

On the firing on the protesters he said, “Troopers were forced to open fire on as mob went on rampage and set ablaze some of their vehicles.”

PDP CONDEMNS

Strongly condemning killing of Ghulam Muhammad Kalas, in Chewan village in Keller followed by firing on unarmed protesters, president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti regretted that situation in Kashmir Valley has been deteriorating with every passing day due to “wrong policies” of the National Conference led coalition in the state.

“Incidents of human rights violation have been increasing but the government is not seriously stopping such incidents,” Mehbooba said in a statement.

She pointed out during the last 15 months incidents of HR violations have increased manifold as the government has failed to keep “security forces under control.”

She reiterated demand of her party that Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) should be revoked to avoid recurrence of such incidents. “Perpetrators of human right violation have been taking benefit of harsh laws like AFSPA and revocation of such acts was must to stop killing of innocent people.”
 
Troops kill father of 7 daughters

The countries that showed support for Kashmiri self-determination

Statements in support of Kashmiri self-determination

Argentina

“Article 1, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations lays down the following as one of the purposes of the United Nations: ‘To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures so strengthen universal peace.’ Now that the disputes between India and Pakistan have been submitted to the jurisdiction of the Security Council, the delegation of Argentina will not be able to vote in favour of any draft resolution which does not leave the solution of the problem to be decided by a plebiscite, freely prepared, freely conducted and freely scrutinized under the authority of the Security Council.”

José Arce, Representative of Argentina to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 240th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.240, p. 366), 4 February 1948.

“In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I wish to make the following declarations: […] Kashmir is not a territory of India – no Power will either propose or accept a plebiscite to surrender a part of its territory, as India’s Government did; […] the cause of the present war is the rebellion of the Kashmir people against their Ruler, and the only remedy is to look to the will of these people….”

José Arce, Representative of Argentina to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 245th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.245, pp. 117-118), 11 February 1948.

Australia

“In an attempt to move towards a constructive solution, the Council has declared the rights of the people of Kashmir to determine their own political future and has placed faith in the recognized democratic method of a plebiscite, to be conducted in conditions that would ensure a free vote without any coercion.”

Ronald Walker, Representative of Australia to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 765th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.765, para. 23), 24 January 1957.

Brazil

“A plebiscite is a well-known and well-defined method of international law. By placing the plebiscite under the direction of the United Nations, the parties reinforced the guarantees of its fair and impartial implementation. The acceptance of the two resolutions of the United Nations Commission not only curtailed the discretion of the opposing sides, but also accrued a right to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, namely, the right to decide by vote, under pre-established conditions, their choice of sovereignty.”

João Muniz, Representative of Brazil to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 538th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.538, para. 27), 29 March 1951.

“The Anglo-American draft resolution [S/2017/Rev.1] embodies certain principles of international law to which Brazil has unswervingly adhered and which fall within the spirit and letter of the Charter. I refer specifically to the spirit of self-determination of peoples which accounts for the provision for a United Nations-sponsored plebiscite whereby the people of Jammu and Kashmir may choose their political status.”

João Muniz, Representative of Brazil to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 538th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.538, para. 33), 29 March 1951.

“As to the question of self-determination for Kashmir, the principle in itself is a cherished one which my Government recognizes as fundamental to the building of world peace. We have been faithful to this principle in all those circumstances in which its application was valid. We are told that a plebiscite would raise more problems than it would solve. We are not in a position to judge what the impact of the full implementation of the principle of self-determination in Kashmir would have throughout the Indian subcontinent. One thing, however, remains true and evident to us: no settlement of any territorial question will last if the will of the people who live and toil in these lands is not fully respected.”

Carlos Bernardes, Representative of Brazil to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1092nd Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1092, paras. 5-6), 15 February 1964.

China

“I should like to say that a plebiscite was not only agreed on before the two parties came to this Council; it was the unanimous belief of the members of the Council that a plebiscite was the solution. Furthermore, what is a plebiscite? A plebiscite, in terms of the Charter, would mean the self-determination of a people. Self-determination is expressed through a plebiscite. […] The setting of conditions should not be allowed to obstruct the main purpose, that is, to allow the people of Kashmir to have the right of self-determination.”

Tingfu Tsiang, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 765th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.765, paras. 73-75), 24 January 1957.

“I think the Charter is a sufficient basis for an appropriate settlement of this [the Kashmir] dispute. The particular principle which would be applicable to this dispute would be the principle of self-determination of peoples.”

Tingfu Tsiang, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 774th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.774, paras. 60-61), 21 February 1957.

“All colonial empires have the backing of law. All of them have been fortified with treaties, conventions, protocols, agreements and what not. The British empire in India had ample legal foundation. In the face of India’s claim to self-determination, all British legal claims were swept aside. These claims were solidly based on treaties duly signed and ratified, and even sanctified by time and tradition. When the Indian people demanded self-determination, the legal documents in the hands of the United Kingdom seemed to have no moral or political relevance. What the Indian people demanded and won from the United Kingdom should, I hope, be granted to the people of Kashmir.”

Tingfu Tsiang, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 797th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.797, para. 51), 25 October 1957.

“The final word in this whole problem does not belong to any member of the Security Council, or to the Council as a whole, or to the representatives of India or Pakistan who are sitting at this table. The final word as to the future of the State of Jammu and Kashmir belongs to the people of Kashmir. When that final word is given to the world through a free and fair plebiscite, the problem will be solved. Until that final word is given, I am afraid that the problem will remain with us.”

Tingfu Tsiang, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 808th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.808, para. 30), 2 December 1957.

“It is only fair to all parties concerned to say that, in the eyes of the Security Council, nothing has happened in Kashmir that changes the legal status of that territory. The status of Kashmir remains what it was fourteen years ago. In the absence of an agreement between India and Pakistan, it cannot be determined without regard to the principle of self-determination. This has been the position consistently taken by the Security Council on the Kashmir question. I do not see how it is possible for the Council to take any other position. The plebiscite elaborately worked out by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, agreed to by the parties and approved by the Security Council, is the means by which the principle of self-determination is to be put into practice in Kashmir. It is the means by which the people of Kashmir are to express freely, under fair and equitable conditions, their will as to the future of the country.”

Y.C. Hsueh, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1012th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1012, paras. 23-24), 15 June 1962.

“The position taken by the Security Council on the Kashmir question is well known. All the relevant resolutions are in the books. The Council has been consistent in all these sixteen years in holding that, in the absence of an agreement between India and Pakistan, the question cannot be solved without regard to the principle of self-determination.”

Y.C. Hsueh, Representative of China to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1115th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1115, para. 102), 12 May 1964.

Cuba

“This statement by the Prime Minister of India [in a telegram dated 8 November 1947 to the Prime Minister of Pakistan; see p. 6 below], which does him very great honour and is fully in accordance with the principles of the Charter and with the right of peoples to self-determination, is exactly what we [the co-sponsors of draft resolution S/3778] propose in the first part of our draft resolution when we say that ‘the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.’”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 765th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.765, para. 38), 24 January 1957.

“The delegation of Cuba therefore considers that the draft resolution [S/3778] is a reaffirmation of the Council’s position, of the clear and binding provisions of the Charter, and of the right of peoples to self-determination.”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 765th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.765, para. 41), 24 January 1957.

“As far as the Cuban delegation is concerned, the fundamental element of this problem is that the sovereignty of Kashmir rests exclusively with the people of Kashmir. […] When the Nabob [ruler] of Junagadh decided by a resolution of his own to accede to Pakistan and did so, the Government of India declared that that was illegal because it violated the principle of the people’s self-determination. And when the Nizam [ruler] of Hyderabad also wanted to remain neutral, that is, not accede to either India or Pakistan, the Government of India similarly declared that the Nizam could not do so because he was violating the freely expressed will of the people of Hyderabad. These are recorded facts which in the opinion of the Cuban delegation, have been proven through documents, and we have no doubt whatsoever that the same principle should be applied to the case of Kashmir as a general basis for judging these problems.”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 768th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.768, paras. 87-88), 15 February 1957.

“In the opinion of the Cuban delegation, this [statements by the representative of India] proves that the position of the delegation of India is that the offer made previously by the Prime Minister, Mr. Nehru, will be carried out, namely that the people of Kashmir will decide upon their own future. That in short, is the same thesis that the representative of India brilliantly expressed on 12 February in the First Committee of the General Assembly when he vigorously and enthusiastically contended that Algeria also has a right to determine its own future. In other words, it would be unjustifiable, in the Cuban delegation’s view – and I say this with all due respect to the representative of India – that the Algerian people should have the right to exercise freely the principle of self-determination and that the Kashmiri people should not. This is all the more true since in the case of the people of Kashmir, there has been no discussion, as in the case of Algeria, whether it was in effect an integral part of another State, because both parties have recognized that Kashmir has existed as a State for ten centuries, though for many years under the rule of the United Kingdom.”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 768th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.768, para. 90), 15 February 1957.

“[T]he resolutions of the Council exist; Kashmir exists; the people of Kashmir exist; the principle of self-determination exists in the Charter of the United Nations….”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 768th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.768, para. 93), 15 February 1957.

“We have given consideration and study to all the arguments advanced by the Indian Government; but, in our opinion, none of them is sufficiently weighty to prevent the people of Jammu and Kashmir from deciding their own destiny in the final instance.”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 798th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.798, para. 19), 29 October 1957.

“These are two Governments worthy of our respect which have always fulfilled their obligations in the United Nations, and which have proclaimed and defended the principle of the self-determination of peoples; inasmuch as our goal is self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we believe that the task of the Security Council becomes less difficult.”

Emilio Portuondo, Representative of Cuba to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 798th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.798, para. 23), 29 October 1957.

East Timor

“I therefore urge everyone wishing to bring peace, democracy and social justice to this troubled region to join in supporting a free, fair and binding plebiscite for all the people of Kashmir, that the world may finally know and abide by their long deferred aspirations.”

José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1996) and Prime Minister (2006-2007) and President (2008) of East Timor. “In Support of the Kashmiri People’s Right to True Self-Determination,” 14 July 1998.

Egypt

“The work of the Security Council and of the Security Council’s Commission for India and Pakistan, and the statesmen-like attitude of both the Governments of India and Pakistan are all to the credit of the structure of the United Nations and its aims of peace, and also to the credit of all concerned in this matter. This is particularly gratifying to my delegation and to the Egyptian Government, in view of the fact that we in a very clear and unequivocal manner, endorse and express the conceptions of democracy of the United Nations Charter, in particular the great principle of self-determination which is one of the main pillars of our Organization.”

Mahmoud Bey, Representative of Egypt to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 399th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.399, p. 8), 13 January 1949.

India

“The people of Kashmir should be asked whether they want to join Pakistan or India. Let them do as they want. The ruler is nothing. The people are everything.”

Mahatma Gandhi, political and spiritual leader of the Indian independence movement. Quoted in Stanley Wolpert. Gandhi’s Passion: The Life and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi (2001, p. 239), 29 July 1947.

“I should like to make it clear that question of aiding Kashmir in this emergency is not designed in any way to influence the State to accede to India. Our view which we have repeatedly made public is that the question of accession in any disputed territory or State must be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people and we adhere to this view.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 46), 25 October 1947.

“[I]t is my Government’s wish that, as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader, the question of the State’s accession should be settled by a reference to the people.”

Louis Mountbatten, Governor-General of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 47), 27 October 1947.

“Our assurance that we shall withdraw our troops from Kashmir as soon as peace and order are restored and leave the decision about the future of the State is not merely a pledge to your Government [Pakistan] but also to the people of Kashmir and to the world.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 51), 31 October 1947.

“We have declared that the fate of Kashmir is ultimately to be decided by the people. That pledge we have given, and the Maharaja has supported it, not only to the people of Kashmir but to the world. We will not, and cannot back out of it.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 53), 2 November 1947.

“It will thus be seen that our proposals which we have repeatedly stated are: […] (three) that the Governments of India and Pakistan should make a joint request to U.N.O. to undertake a plebiscite in Kashmir as the earliest possible date.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 62), 8 November 1947.

“In order to establish our bona fides we have suggested that when the people [of Kashmir] are given the chance to decide their future this should be done under the supervision of an impartial tribunal such as the United Nations Organisation.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 71), 25 November 1947.

“In Kashmir, as in other similar cases, the view of the Government of India has been that in the matter of disputed accession the will of the people must prevail. […] The question of accession is to be decided finally in a free plebiscite; on this point there is no dispute.”

Government of India. White Paper on Jammu & Kashmir (p. 45), 1948.

“But, in order to avoid any possible suggestion that India had utilized the State’s [Kashmir’s] immediate peril for her own political advantage, the Government of India made it clear that once the soil of the State had been cleared of the invader and normal conditions restored, its people would be free to decide their future by the recognized democratic method of a plebiscite or referendum which, in order to ensure complete impartiality, might be held under international auspices.”

Government of India. Letter to the President of the Security Council (S/628, para. 6), 1 January 1948.

“The question of the future status of Kashmir vis-à-vis her neighbors and the world at large, and a further question, namely, whether she 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 United Nations – all this we have recognized to be a matter for unfettered decision by the people of Kashmir, after normal life is restored to them.”

Gopalaswamy Ayanger, Representative of India to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 227th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.227, p. 29), 15 January 1948.

“India has repeatedly offered to work out with U.N. reasonable safeguards to enable the people of Kashmir to express their will, and will always be ready to do so.”

Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. Quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 January 1951.

“So, similarly, the word ‘plebiscite’ embodies the great idea of self-determination and it simply is not to be misinterpreted.”

Krishna Menon, Representative of India to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 769th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.769, para. 110), 15 February 1957.

International Commission of Jurists

“Regarding the right of self-determination: (a) The peoples of the State of Jammu and Kashmir acquired a right of self-determination at the time of the partition of India. (b) That right has neither been exercised nor abandoned and therefore remains capable of exercise. (c) The right belongs to the peoples of the State and not to Pakistan, and is therefore not affected by acts of the Government of Pakistan.”

International Commission of Jurists. Human Rights in Kashmir: Report of a Mission (p. 98), 1995.

Iraq

“When the question was brought to the attention of the Security Council in 1948, the Kashmir situation was no doubt viewed in the framework of the circumstances which surrounded the whole process of the creation of the two Dominions on the one hand and, on the other, in conjunction with the principle of self-determination. […] The idea of a plebiscite no doubt had been in line, on the one hand, with the traditional struggle for liberation conducted by all the people of the Indian sub-continent and, on the other, with the principle of self-determination.”

Hashim Jawad, Representative of Iraq to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 769th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.769, para. 15), 15 February 1957.

“This [a plebiscite] is, in our opinion, the solution to the problem, a solution which takes into consideration, and rightly so, the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination.”

Kadhim Khalaf, Representative of Iraq to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 797th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.797, para. 71), 25 October 1957.

“We make a special appeal to the Governments of India and Pakistan to facilitate the solution of this dispute by bringing to bear more efforts and more co-operation, so that the right of the people of Kashmir to self-determination may be safeguarded and the

Charter of the United Nations upheld.”

Kadhim Khalaf, Representative of Iraq to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 797th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.797, para. 74), 25 October 1957.

“It would not do justice to the case before us or to the people of Kashmir if we or others were to create or entertain the impression that our judgement was in any way related to or based upon considerations other than the merits of the case, the resolutions of the Council and the principles of the United Nations Charter – the most important of which is the principle of self-determination.”

Kadhim Khalaf, Representative of Iraq to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 797th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.797, para. 80), 25 October 1957.

Ivory Coast

“However, before dealing with the [Kashmir] problem itself, my delegation would like to restate certain fundamental principles. First, we accept all the resolutions of the Security Council and we also recognize their dynamic nature; secondly, we reaffirm our devotion to the sacred principle of self-determination; thirdly, we also condemn racial and religious discrimination.”

Arsene Usher, Representative of the Ivory Coast to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1090th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1090, para. 74), 10 February 1964.

Jordan

“It is not open, at this stage, for either India or Pakistan to claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of its territory. This will be decided by the people of Kashmir themselves. They have the right to choose their destiny, and until such time as they do, both parties are stopped from making any claims of sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir. […] Needless to say, self-determination is a right we always support. But annexation which does not stem from the free will of the people is something we do not endorse. It does not convey a right. It imposes a duty – a duty on the people to oppose it, and a duty on us here to protect the legitimate right of the people to choose their own destiny.”

Muhammed El-Farra, Representative of Jordan to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1248th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1248, paras. 21-22), 27 October 1965.

Netherlands

“We are then, we may earnestly hope, in the presence of a common and uncontested desire that the future of the territory and the population which are involved in the dispute should be decided through the free exercise of the right of self-determination by the people most directly concerned. The Netherlands Government has always considered the principle of self-determination as being of primary importance for human happiness and the peace of the world. It continues to believe in that principle, now that the Council is again confronted with the Jammu and Kashmir case.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 538th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.538, para. 54), 29 March 1951.

“In that way the truce agreement could and should finally be effected, that is to say, the demilitarization, which is indispensable to the free exercise of the right of self-determination of and by the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 538th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.538, para. 58), 29 March 1951.

“But once the right to self-determination for the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is – as it has been – recognized, once it is clearly accepted by the parties in dispute – as it has been – that they have no right to impose anything upon these people against their wishes and that therefore these wishes must prevail over the wishes and claims of the bordering States, it must be possible to find a procedure which will create the most favourable conditions for a fair expression of the will of the people, who want to make their choice free from any kind of fear or intimidation. The issue should, in the last analysis, be decided by the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and not by the rulers heretofore placed over them.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 538th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.538, paras. 62-63), 29 March 1951.

“What he [the United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan] in effect is expected to do is to bring into shape and being the indispensable prerequisite for a just, fair and free plebiscite by which the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be enabled to exercise their uncontested right to self-determination. […] The issue, I said, should in the 1ast analysis be decided by the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir themselves. Their right of self-determination had been recognized by both the parties to this dispute and the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir must therefore prevail.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 543rd Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.543, paras. 27-28), 30 April 1951.

“The very serious issue before us, which has endangered the relations between two great nations of the Asiatic subcontinent for almost four years, has not yet found a just and reasonable solution acceptable to the parties. As a result of this absence of agreement it has remained impossible for the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole to exercise their fundamental right of self-determination, although this right is not contested by the parties. On the contrary, the right of self-determination for the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir has been clearly and formally recognized and accepted by all concerned. The lack of agreement therefore does not concern this right of self-determination.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 566th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.566, para. 32), 10 November 1951.

“But I submit that the issue before us should in the first place be determined by the need of self-determination of the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir themselves.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 571st Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.571, para. 57), 30 January 1952.

“Our only interest in this matter is one of principle, namely, that the right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be respected and implemented.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 571st Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.571, para. 61), 30 January 1952.

“[O]ur final and essential aim, in the present approach to this problem, is to secure for the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right to self-determination, that is, their right to choose which way they want to go, a right which is not contested by anyone and which we must therefore, after all these years, find a means to implement.”

D. J. von Balluseck, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 611th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.611, para. 1), 23 December 1952.

“As is well known, the attitude of my country has always been that the Kashmir question should be solved on the basis of the free self-determination of the people of Kashmir and Jammu and that the decisions of the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan and the Security Council on that subject offered a just means to achieve that aim. Therefore, we can sympathize with Pakistan’s apprehension on this aspect, namely that the basic political conflict might be left unsolved. If that were done, the Council would only be dealing with the symptoms of the disease and not with the disease itself, the underlying cause of all conflicts between India and Pakistan.”

J.G. de Beus, Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1241st Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1241, para. 74), 18 September 1965.

Philippines

“In the view of both the Council and the Commission, neither India nor Pakistan can bring into question the sovereignty of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. This position is crystal clear in the assurances given by the Commission to the Governments of India and Pakistan and which forms the basis of their resolutions of 13 August 1948 and 5 January 1949. Under the circumstances and pending the holding of a plebiscite, neither India nor Pakistan can claim sovereignty over the State of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Carlos Romulo, Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 773rd Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.773, para. 46), 20 February 1957.

“All countries, great and small, have a stake in the principles involved in the [Kashmir] dispute: considerations of justice and equity, the honoring of international agreements, respect for the principle of self-determination of peoples, the integrity of decisions of the Security Council and its organs, and support of the Council’s efforts to comply with its primary responsibility under the Charter to maintain international peace and security.”

Carlos Romulo, Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 804th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.804, para. 17), 20 November 1957.

Soviet Union

“The right path towards settling the Kashmir question […] can only be found if the settlement is inspired by the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples proclaimed in the United Nations Charter.”

Yakov Malik, Representative of the Soviet Union to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 570th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.570, para. 97), 17 January 1952.

Syria

“It is correct to say that the Maharajah of Junagadh, in declaring his accession to Pakistan, was not acting within the rules of our Charter, and that the people of Junagadh were not given the opportunity for self-determination, the chance to determine the fate of their future government. It was the same case in Kashmir.”

Faris El-Khouri, Representative of Syria to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 286th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.286, p. 4), 21 April 1948.

United Kingdom

“First, I wish to reiterate my Government’s position on the status of Kashmir and on the question of self-determination. This was made clear most recently by our sponsorship of the resolution adopted by the Security Council on 24 January 1957. According to that resolution, the Council ‘reminded the Governments and authorities concerned of the principle embodied in its resolutions of 21 April 1948, 3 June 1948, 14 March 1950 and

30 March 1951, and the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan resolutions of 13 August 1948 and 5 January 1949, that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.’ My Government stands firmly by the principles enunciated in that resolution today.”

Patrick Dean, Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1090th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1090, para. 99), 10 February 1964.

United Nations

“[T]he final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations….”

United Nations Security Council. Resolution 91 (preambular para. 4), 30 March 1951.

“With respect to the value of a settlement to the people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the first significant result which would proceed from an agreement would be the exercise by the people of Jammu and Kashmir of the promised right of self-determination for which they have been anxiously waiting for three years. […] As a practical matter, without fulfilment of the promised right of self-determination through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite to be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations, the continuing dispute, as has been well said, would become a running sore, which would tend to drain away resources and energies to the damage of the State and the peoples of both nations.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Verbatim Record of the 564th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.564, paras. 32-33), 18 October 1951.

“The plebiscite would keep the promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who are worthy of the right of their own self-determination through a free, secure, and impartial plebiscite. […] These people, Moslems, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians, as farmers, craftsmen and artists, small shopkeepers, boatmen, bearers and other workers in areas now on both sides of the cease-fire line, have been, through the centuries, the victims of exploitation and conflict. The recognition of the rights and dignity, the security and the self-determination of these historic people, under the auspices of the United Nations, might well become a challenging example of the progressive values of self-determination to the dependant peoples of the earth.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Verbatim Record of the 570th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.570, para. 60), 17 January 1952.

“The sub-continent is the place for a timely example of demilitarization and self-determination.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Verbatim Record of the 570th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.570, para. 70), 17 January 1952.

“A settlement of this [the Kashmir] dispute would mean that the status of the people of the State would be finally determined not by the sovereignty of princes but by the sovereignty of the people, not by the might of armies but by the will of the people, not by bullets but by ballots, through the self-determination of peoples by the democratic method of an impartial plebiscite conducted with due regard for the security of the State and the freedom of the plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Verbatim Record of the 605th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.605, para. 73), 10 October 1952.

“The co-operation of India and Pakistan in the demilitarization of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, in the self-determination of the people of the State, and in the allocation of larger budgets for constructive programmes, might become one of the turning-points in the history of our times towards the co-operation of all nations for the larger self-determination of all peoples….”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Verbatim Record of the 605th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.605, para. 77), 10 October 1952.

“The transformation in the situation which comes from the simple fact of his [the Plebiscite Administrator’s] induction into office is most important for the great objective of the self-determination of the people of the state [Kashmir] under the agreements between the two Governments.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Fifth Report to the Security Council (S/2967, para. 23), 27 March 1953.

“The peoples of the sub-continent have an unprecedented opportunity for providing the leadership, setting the example and mayhap turning the direction of human affairs, away from the tendencies to self-destruction, to the ways of self-determination, peace, and co-operation.”

Frank Graham, United Nations Representative for India and Pakistan. Fifth Report to the Security Council (S/2967, para. 56), 27 March 1953.

“[T]he final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations….”

United Nations Security Council. Resolution 122 (preambular para. 2), 24 January 1957.

United States

“Regardless of whether execution of the instrument of accession should be considered inconsistent with any of Kashmir’s obligations toward Pakistan, the contested instrument of accession was not effective to settle definitively the rights of the parties, in view of the circumstances under which the instrument was executed.”

Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State. “Accession of Kashmir to India” (p. 1), 30 January 1950.

“The Security Council has from the beginning held that the issue of [Kashmir’s] accession is one which is to be settled by a fair and impartial plebiscite under United Nations auspices, and both parties, in the language of their own commitments, have accepted this view.”

Ernest Gross, Representative of the United States to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 537th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.537, para. 30), 21 March 1951.

“Certainly there can be no misunderstanding of paragraph 1 of the UNCIP resolution of 5 January 1949 which reads as follows: ‘The question of the accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite.’ Furthermore, this is in full conformity with the principle of the self-determination of peoples which is enshrined in Article 1 of the Charter as one of the very purposes for which the United Nations exists.”

Adlai Stevenson, Representative of the United States to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1012th Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1012, para. 10), 15 June 1962.

Uruguay

“[T]he Security Council is on the eve of facing other problems concerning the self-determination of peoples. Its legal, moral, and political authority depends on its subsequent acts and conduct. What the Council says and does now regarding this lamentable situation [the Kashmir dispute] will constitute a precedent for the situations with which the Council may have to deal tomorrow.”

Paysee Reyes, Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations. Verbatim Record of the 1251st Meeting of the Security Council (S/PV.1251, para. 18), 5 November 1965.

Mirwaiz under house arrest and same day is being invited to OIC session Tajikstan

Mirwaiz put under house arrest in Srinagar

Srinagar, April 23: In occupied Kashmir, the authorities put the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest at his residence, today as they always do.


Mirwaiz was to lead a protest demonstration after Juma congregation at Jamia Masjid Srinagar. A complete strike is being observed across the occupied territory, the call for which has been given by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani.

Meanwhile, Indian troops injured several peaceful demonstrators in Baramulla town and Maisuma area of Srinagar who were staging anti-India protests against the Indian court verdict.

OIC invites Mirwaiz to session in Tajikistan

On the other hand The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has invited the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend the 37th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held from May 18 to May 20 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.


Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been jointly invited by the General Secretariat of the OIC and the Government of Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Srinagar, the APHC Chairman confirmed his participation, adding that he would impress upon the participants to speed up their efforts for resolving the long-pending Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris.

The statement said that he would also raise the massive human rights violations in occupied Kashmir by Indian troops. “He would also urge the participants to use their influence in getting all the detainees, languishing in different jails in and outside the territory released, unconditionally,” it maintained.

No end to India's atrocities in occupied Kashmir

Amnesty International (AI) has took note of the fact that though India claimed to be world's biggest democracy but its human rights record was dismally poor, which did not sit well with its tall claims of being the most democratic country.


India's forces in occupied Kashmir have been committing the most horrible acts of human rights violations including illegal arrests, rapes, extra judicial killing, forced disappearances and destruction of private properties. The occupation forces personnel commit heinous crimes with impunity as they have full protection under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which enables them to commit brutalities against innocent people of Kashmir without fear of any reprisal or punishment.

No court can take any action against forces' personnel without New Delhi's prior permission. There have been hundreds of criminal cases involving Indian army personnel but no action could be taken against the erring personnel for want of New Delhi's approval. None of the cases referred to the Indian capital have been answered, which has further emboldened the rampaging forces personnel. A recent happening is the ugly incident of Shopian where two young women's bodies were thrown away in a Nullah after torture and rape.

Accusing fingers were pointed towards the Indian soldiers who committed the nefarious crime and ditched their bodies in the stream. The matter was hushed up by puppet authorities ascribing the women's death to drowning. This is how the hapless Kashmiris are being suppressed and their legitimate rights trampled upon. Around one hundred thousand Kashmiris have been martyred since 1989, when the liberation struggle started with defiance and vengeance. Meanwhile more than ten thousand Kashmiri youth have been disappeared during custody of the armed forces. Hundred of nameless graves have been discovered at various places where innocent people falling victims to vagaries of occupation army were clandestinely buried.

It's believed that those who were disappeared during custody are buried in these unnamed graves. This colossal tragedy enlisted notice of human rights organisations but no plausible explanation has been offered by India in this matter. »

No end to India's atrocities in occupied Kashmir

Kashmir University Joining a Billion People across the Globe to Celebrate Earth Day

Kashmir University is joining one billion people across 200 countries world over to show their concern about the deteriorating conditions of Mother Nature by celebrating the earth day, Kashmir University is organizing a number of events on this Earth Day, that will feature a variety of activities like interactive exhibits that highlight the research work of the University related to Earth Sciences, debates on various relevant themes among the students, Campus cleaning and other activities.

By organizing various activities on the Day, the aim is to inculcate within us a deeper appreciation for all that Mother Nature has given us, said the Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University, Prof. Riyaz Punjabi. He said that combating the land and water resources degradation and climate change is a priority area at the University of Kashmir. Through the combined efforts of the academia, government and the civil society, we are trying to use our scientific knowledge and multi-disciplinary expertise to understand and characterize the problems related to the earth system.

Dr. Shakil A. Romshoo, Organizing Secretary of the Earth Day Celebrations at the University said that the reckless exploitation of land and water resources in the region is putting tremendous strain on the sustainability of earth resources. He said that the scenario, that is expected to be worsened by climate change, is going to pose a bigger threat to the sustainability of the earth resources. He said that the issues like water shortages, water pollution, recession of snow and glacier resources, deforestation and inadequate energy underlie other challenges that face and perplex us. In order to address all these issues on priority, there is a need to share knowledge and technology on how to combat the ailing earth system and to initiate the formulation of strategies for sustainable development and conservation of earth resources in the region.

It may not be out of context to say here that state of Jammu and Kashmir faces serious environmental challenges. Kashmir, once famous for its pristine water resources and lush green forests, is facing rapid deterioration of these resources with adverse and serious consequences to both the ecology and the economy. The rapid changes in the population, economy, energy demand and climate are likely to cause further environmental damage, with the region becoming more degraded, more polluted, less forested, less galcierized, and less ecologically diverse in the future. These are but a few of the environmental issues facing the state.
Kashmir University Joining a Billion People across the Globe to Celebrate Earth Day

Sufi Dargahs in Kashmir

Kashmir,  has been the abode of many Muslim saints (Sufis), and there are famous Sufi dargahas. Two of these dargahas are at Aishmuqam in Anantnag district and Makhdoom Sahib in Srinagar city.
The Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir have lived together for centuries. The Kashmiri Muslims and the Hindus have been influenced by each other. The sufis of Kashmir are of a special type. Hindu thought and religion greatly influenced Kashmiri sufis. Kashmir Sufis are also called as Muslim Reshis.

Aishmuqam

Village Aishmuqam is very well known in every part of Kashmir on account of the historical shrine of Sheikh Zain-ud-din, who lived in the 15th century A.D. and was one of the principal disciples of Sheikh Nur-ud-din, the leading Reshi of Kashmir. It is commonly known in Kashmir that Sheikh Zain-ud-din, who was known by the name of Zia Singh before his conversion, was a prince and belonged to the ruling Rajas of Kishtwar. Among the local inhabitants, legend has it that Zain-ud-din meditated for a long time in the village Mandjan of Tehsil Sopore, where he attained spiritual perfection. It was at this stage that Sheikh Nur-ud-din advised him to migrate to the cave at Aishmuqam and to meditate there for the remaining period of his life.

Makhdoom Saheb

Sultan-Ul-Arifeen Hazrat Makhdoom Saheb, popularly known as Makhdoom Saheb, is a famous Dargah situated in Srinagar, capital city of Jammu and Kashmir. People from all walks of life come to this famous Dargah to pay their obeisance. Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, titled Mehboob-Ul-Alam, and Sultan-Ul-Arifeen, was born to Baba Usman, of the Chandra-Vanshi Rajput family, a hereditary landlord, a scholar, and a mystic saint of high order. Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, in this manner, inherited the mysticism.

Quick Tips:

According to the legend, the Urs festival at Aishmuqam continues to be celebrated from pre-Islamic times and dates back to about 2,000 years. All communities respect the shrine of Zain-ud-din, and they actively participate in the celebration of the anniversary. There is no restriction to the entry into the shrine, which is open to visits by persons of either sex and of any community.

At present Waqf Board is looking after the day-to-day management and maintenance of Dargah. A huge number of locals as well as those from Pakistan, Afghanistan Jaireens, visit this shrine throughout the year. In URS days around 50 to 60,000 Jaireens visit this shrine daily to listen whole night Qawwalis sung in the praise of Allah and Holy Saint and pay their obeisance. On average, 4,000 Jaireens visit this place daily, except the months of December and January, when, due to cold weather in the valley, the number of daily Jaireens comes down to about 1,000 persons.

Makhdoom Sahib

Makhdoom Sahib inherited the mysticism, and from very childhood was inclined to the company of holy men, and to the truth. Having read the Holy Quran in the village, he went to the seminary of Sheikh Ismail Kabroi for higher studies. He studied the Jurisprudence, Tradition, Logic, Philosophy, Ethics, and Mysticism. The great sage followed the Sunni (tradition) strictly not only in prayers but also in table manners, dress, etc. He scrupulously followed the Prophet and his love for Him knew no bounds. These things helped him to reach the highest rank. Later he had to forsake His love for isolation in order to serve the people. He remarks:

"In the early days I had completely abandoned the company of the people. God granted me the gift of peace at heart and composure of mind. He ordered me to serve the people so I came and started delivering the Message."

His greatest contribution was that he delivered it in its purest form to the people and that he instructed the people to forsake superstitions and Un-Islamic activities through his speech and actions. He was buried near Hari Parbat. Thousands of people visit the shrine to pay their respects and receive his blessings. Ladies come and cry in tears with hiccups to narrate their sorrows to Makhdoom Saheb, which, as per belief, relieves them of their sorrows.

Best Way To Get Around:

Aishmuqam is situated in the district of Anantnag, a central part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated on the Anantnag-Pahalgam road, about 25km from Anantnag. The shrine of Hazrat Zain-ud-Din Wali is situated on a hillock, about 20km short of the famous hill resort of Pahalgam overlooking the bewitching Lidder Valley. The road to the shrine branches off to the right from main Anantnag-Pahalgam road. A few hundred metres walk or drive takes one to the foot of the stone stair leading to the shrine. The mausoleum is located inside a deep cave atop the hill, about 100m higher than the main road.

Presently, the Jaireens climb 260 steps of 20cm to reach at this shrine, which is a strenuous task for ladies and old Jaireens. About 2,000 people visit the Dargah every day, with figures reaching to about 6,000 peopleduring holidays and on Fridays. Further, during URS days for about one month in March-April (in two spells of 12 days each) every year, about 10 to 20,000 persons visit the Dargah. The daily timings of Dargah are from 6am to 10pm.

The dargah has an impressive front structure. Being located on the road from Anantnag to the hill resort of Pahalgam, it is easily approachable and you can spend about 2 hours to visit the dargah and proceed onwards.

Makhdoom Saheb is well connected by all weather roads in Srinagar. From road to the shrine, the Jaireens have to ascend the steps to reach the shrine, about 90 from the Bashi Darwaja side (north) and about 127 from Kathi Darwaja side (south). While approaching from the Kathi Darwaja side, there is a mosque built by Dara-Shikoh in Mughal period just by the side of the steps.

There are two entrances to the shrine from Bashi Darwaja and from Kathi Darwaja. More pilgrims frequent the Bashi Darwaja entrance, primarily due to the religious belief and also being more populated side of the city.

The Dargah is situated on the south of Hari Parbat, at an elevation of 1635m above MSL.

The Makhdoom Sahib, being situated in the heart of Srinagar city, can be visited by all for its majestic structure, spacious, and beautiful decorated halls.

A Poem By Habba Khatoon (Queen of Kashmir)

Habba Khatun

I left my home for play

Nor yet again

Returned, although the day

Sank in the West.

The name I made is hailed

On lips of men,

Habba Khatun ! though veiled,

I found no rest.

Through crowds I found my way,

From forests, then,

The sages came, when day

Sank in the West

Atrocities of India continue in Occupied Kashmir

In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred a 60-year old civilian in a fake encounter in Handwara.


The killing triggered anti-India protests in the area. Defying curfew restrictions, people took to streets and held demonstrations in Sopore to protest another killing by the troops.

Twenty persons were injured in police actions against the demonstrators. Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel was made to enforce curfew restrictions and the cops had blocked the roads with barbed wire and armoured vehicles.

The All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement, issued in Srinagar, expressed concern over the killings by Indian troops and appealed to the international community to help bringing Indian state terrorism to an end.
The Patron of Jammu and Kashmir Mahaz-e-Azadi, Mohammad Azam Inqilabi in his statement emphasised that the people of Kashmir would not compromise on their inalienable right to self-determination.
Meanwhile, the annual report prepared by Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists has said that Jammu and Kashmir continued to pose serious challenges for journalism as the media men encountered strict restrictions in filing their reports.
Indian troops martyr 60-year old civilian

Beautifull view of the Golden night at DAL LAKE.....

Kashmiri students open window to art

Their art thrived in the shadow of militancy but was never visible to the world. Now, at last, over 50 young artists from the Kashmir Valley will get to display their works thanks to a clutch of students based outside the troubled state.

The students - also from Kashmir and all in their 20s - have in a first of its kind endeavour provided the artists a platform by organising the exhibition, 'Quest For The Finest Artists Of Kashmir', to be held in June.

It is the brainchild of Arslan Qadri, a 21-year-old Kashmiri who is pursuing his engineering studies in Mumbai and has been dabbling in glass painting for as long as he can remember.

The idea first struck Arslan while on vacation in Kashmir towards the end of 2009. 'On one of my trips back home, I discussed with some like-minded friends the possibility of having a platform for budding artists from the valley.'

'Encouraged by the good response there, I came up with a website, www.kashmirartquest.webs.com, to invite amateur Kashmiri artists to showcase their work,' Arslan told IANS on phone from Mumbai.

All the registered members of the website - 54 so far - will display their works. The categories on display will include canvas painting, photography, pencil painting, applied art, glass painting, fabric art and calligraphy.

Majid, a telecommunications engineer in his mid-20s, is all praise for the organisers and thinks of the event as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'. His portfolio consists of charcoal paintings, abstract art, portraits and landscapes.

'Finally, we can show to people that there is a lot of talent in Kashmir and the only thing we lack is a window of opportunity,' Majid said.

Since its inception in January 2010, the website has gained popularity among budding artists and the number of registered users is on a northward journey.

Arslan also opened a fan page on the social networking site Facebook. 'The response was again very good. In about three months, almost 300 people signed up as fans,' he said.

From school and college students in the valley to working professionals in overseas countries, Kashmiris showed enthusiasm for the concept.

Arslan and his friends then came up with the idea of holding the exhibition of the artworks of registered members of the website.

'We managed to find some sponsors for the exhibition that will be held June 5-6 at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar,' Arslan said.

'We also have support from the Institute of Fine Arts, Srinagar, and the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Handicrafts Development,' he added.

Besides showcasing the talent of participants, the organisers also intend to make an attempt at finding a market for the artwork.

'We are trying to rope in some commercial establishments from the world of art so that they see the work and become interested in buying it,' said Mujtaba Rizvi, Arslan's man Friday.

Uzma Showkat, Sana Tufail and Ayaz Farooq - all Kashmiri students based outside Kashmir - are their comrades-in-arms.

Giving back to society is also on the minds of organisers. 'Forty percent of the proceedings will be donated to charity,' Mujtaba said.

The registered members wait with eagerness for the event.

'I am looking forward to this event to show my talent in front of a large audience,' said Hina, a teenaged student, who has made a collection of more than 40 pencil sketches on various themes.

Kashmiri students open window to art

Dream: To promote brand Kashmir.

Dream: To promote brand Kashmir.

They dreamt of setting up an e-bay for brand Kashmir. And it may well have remained in the realm of fantasy if Kashif Khan, 24, and Rayees Rasool, 25, had given up. Having developed a plan to e-manage a range of community services in Kashmir, their first project was to train students at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in integrated chip design. When they went looking for trainers in big cities, nobody wanted to come to the valley of uncertainty. That didn't stop Khan from undergoing a 15-day course, coming back and training nearly 70 students himself. If people wouldn't come to Kashmir, they would take Kashmir to the world. As they sit now in a warm Srinagar café on a chilly winter day, Khan and Rasool, trained as engineers in Jammu and Pune, bubble with enthusiasm.

While Khan has founded his own company, Resolute Consultancy Services, Rasool has started iGear Solutions. Their confidence stems from their own professional competence. "We're trying to create opportunities not just for ourselves but for others. We should not be judged by a political yardstick," says Khan. The government for them is not a provider of employment but a potential customer. And though they tried to partner with the state in its ambitious e-governance project with no success, they have taken on the J&K Bank's Khidmat centre, connecting a 1,000 village branches. Their Kashmiri identity may be a baggage but they are learning to travel light.

Kashmir: Kupwara celebrates

Kashmir: Kupwara celebrates

Maqbool Bhatt Shaheed: Legacy of a Legend

By Shabana Bashir (03/02/2010)
A legend Born on 18th Feb 1938 in Trahagam village hanged on 11 February 1984 in Tihar prison Dehli but is still not berried and does not have a grave as his body and mortal remains still not handed over to his family. A hero was born and was taken away from us way too soon but his legacy still lives on and will always live on. Life seemed too short for this legend but he still lives around us. He is not dead, he is martyred and martyrs never die. I feel his presence around us even though he cannot be seen or heard. But he lives in the heart of every kashmiri; his picture is hung in almost every house in Kashmir. He was the greater son of our soil who lit the light of freedom in the hearts of kashmiris. He gave his life for the freedom of his oppressed nation. He was the man who dared to dream for an independent Kashmir and hence suffered all his life for endorsing this noble cause.
Maqbool Bhatt was the first Kashmiri who demanded independence for Kashmir, he authored the armed Kashmir movement in 1965 which was referred as an ‘insurgency’ by New Delhi but was a ‘freedom struggle’ for the kashmiris. He was a true freedom fighter who was also very intelligent with great thoughts. He knew exactly what he wanted and what his nation wanted, he was not for Pakistan or India, he was for Kashmir and Kashmir was his first and last love. He gave his life for Kashmir; he suffered captivity in Pakistan prison and Tihar prison in India just for Kashmir.
In 1968 Bhatt and his fellow companion were arrested for the murder charge of Amar Chand. He was charged of being Pakistani spy, terrorist, murderer etc. every man in history who stood up for the liberation of his nation has often being called with such names by the tyrant, however, Bhatt was found guilty and sentenced to death. This is where he boasted in the court room when the death sentence was being announced, he proclaimed confidently that “"Judge sahib, woh rassi abhi tak nahin bani jo Maqbool ko phaansi laga sake..." (Judge sahib, nobody has the rope which could hang Maqbool) and he was right at that time as shortly after the death sentence, Bhatt managed to escape from central jail, Srinagar. It is said that the sentencing magistrate fainted in the court room on hearing about maqbool Bhatt’s escape.
However, after his escape to Pakistan he was arrested in Pakistan. In 1971, Bhatt was again blamed for masterminding the hijacking of an Indian Fokker aircraft to Lahore; hence he was arrested in Pakistan and was released in 1974. Two years later, Bhatt returned to India and was captured again. This time Bhatt was not lucky to escape and hence after 8 long years in Tihar prison Delhi he was hanged on 11th Feb 1984. His mission was not complete but his ideology succeeded and at the very same moment many Maqbool Bhatt’s were born in the valley in order to continue his mission.
He was imprisoned and martyred in the world’s largest democracy. It was his martyrdom and sufferings in Tihar Prison that changed the fate of Kashmir and from the very same moment an armed revolution evolved which meant that the struggle for liberation will be continued until his mission is complete. Simultaneously, the whole kashmiri nation had realised that it’s time to fight the tyrant and struggle in order to liberate the great land of Kashmir from the occupiers. His mission may not be complete yet but is certainly not forgotten till date and will never be.
On 11th of Feb the whole nation pays tribute to this legendary leader and demands for his mortal remains from India. 26 years have passed but his mortal remains still not returned. It is sensible to think that Maqbool Bhatt was a threat to India but it looks like they are also scared of his corpse too which is holding them back from not returning his body to his family and lay him to rest in his soil. A man can die but an idea can never die so his idea and mission are still alive. Similarly, his body may not be returned and his awaiting grave may stay without his body but each and every footstep of him is marked on the soil of Kashmir, his voice can still be recalled by the mountains, forests and lakes of Kashmir. He was a legend, a father of the nation, shaheed-e-Kashmir and has become an icon for countless kashmiris living inside the vale of kashmir or outside. His dream, his mission and his legacy lives on and will live on for centuries.