AZAD Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the British government to avoid diplomatic escapism and refrain from terming the Kashmir dispute a bilateral issue. Speaking at a webinar titled “Twin Lockdown in Kashmir and Global Response” organised by the Tehreek-i-Kashmir-UK on Saturday, he asked parliamentarians and civil society of Britain to have a dialogue with 10 Downing Street, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the deteriorating situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Sardar Masood Khan, who has been proactively working to promote the cause of Kashmiri people at different world forums, referred to the diplomatic escapism of Britain but same is the position of several other influential capitals where eyes have been closed to the plight of Kashmiri people and their legitimate cause due to economic and other considerations. This is a classic example of diplomatic apartheid as some issues are blown up and pursued out-of-proportion and others like Kashmir are left unattended. There is no doubt that leadership of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir has been striving hard to sensitize the international community about gory state of affairs in Occupied Kashmir and the need for a just and peaceful solution of the problem but strangely enough, there is no urgency on the part of the influential countries or the United Nations to intervene to get relief and justice for Kashmiris who are suffering due to unprecedented brutalities by occupation forces. The passive attitude of the world community has encouraged fascist government of Modi, which has not only illegally changed the status of the disputed territory unilaterally but is also engaged in efforts to change its demography by granting domicile of the area to outsiders. It is also ironical that the world is sensitive to difficulties of the people arising out of lockdowns forced by Covid-19 but is not taking due notice of twin-lockdowns in Occupied Kashmir – firstly in the shape of a siege imposed in August last year and now a Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, which have made the life of Kashmiris a living hell. As has been emphasized by AJK President, the United Kingdom has a special responsibility to help resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute. There is logic in demand that instead of hiding behind the excuse of bilateralism, there should be impartial third-party mediation for the resolution of the issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.
UK’s diplomatic escapism
