The top leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, Kashmir’s
largest militant group, has cautioned Islamabad that its “criminal silence”
over losses in the century’s worst floods in India-held Kashmir could reverse
the “pro-Pakistan sentiments” among the marooned Kashmiris.
Syed Salahuddin, who also heads the
United Jihad Council (UJC), an alliance of over a dozen Kashmiri fighter
groups, said there was no doubt that India had left the flood affected
Kashmiris in the lurch, but at the same time Pakistan had also avoided talking
about their plight at the official level.
“Kashmiris have been raising ‘long live
Pakistan’ slogans for the past 68 years, but if they reshape their views owing
to your cowardice attitude and criminal silent, do you have any right to object
to it?” he questioned the Pakistani rulers at a press conference in
Muzaffarabad on Tuesday.
Salahuddin said people of Kashmir were less
saddened by the impact of the devastating flood and more by the silence of
those from whom they expected empathy and support.
“We know that Narendra Modi shed crocodile
tears (on losses in held territory) because in effect he has no sympathy for
the Kashmiris, but Pakistan’s indifference was more painful.”
It may be recalled that Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif twice flew into Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the aftermath of
torrential rains and flash floods to assess the losses and express solidarity
with the affected people.
Though he did briefly mention that India held
Kashmir had also suffered enormous losses, he however stopped short of
categorically offering sympathies or any support to the victims across the
divide.
“Who stopped him from speaking in favour of
Kashmiris? What is the reason for this criminal negligence,” Salahuddin
questioned, while mentioning Sharif’s visit to Haveli.
He was also critical of Parliament’s
“failure” to adopt a unanimous resolution to express solidarity with the
victims of worst ever floods in held Kashmir in general and Srinagar in
particular.
On Friday, Pakistan’s both houses of
Parliament concluded their longest joint session during which the perceived
threat to democracy from the sit-ins of PAT and PIT was the focus of political
discourse.
The parliamentarians unanimously passed a
resolution emphatically reiterating their unequivocal and unwavering resolve to
uphold the supremacy of the Parliament, the constitution, democracy and state
institutions.
However, even though the Leader of the
Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah passionately spoke about
the marooned Kashmiris, a resolution was not passed to express solidarity and
support to them, something which was also criticised by JI Pakistan ameer
Sirajul Haq some two days ago after meeting APHC representatives in Islamabad.
“They have been saying that Kashmir is
their jugular vein. But today I am dubious about the veracity of this claim. Mr
Nawaz Sharif, its mere lip service,” Salahuddin said.
He claimed that a resolution to be passed
by the Parliament was at hand, but it was withheld at the last moment lest it
might not annoy the Indian premier.
Salahuddin recalled that soon after the floods,
Mr Modi not only announced a package for the flood hit Kashmiris but also
offered help for flood victims in AJK.
“While thanking Mr Modi, Prime Minister
Sharif should have seized the opportunity to ask him to let Pakistan help the Kashmiris
who have suffered colossal losses,” he said.
“We know he (Modi) would not have accepted
the request, but that would have exposed him besides sending a good message
across the divide… Alas that chance was missed,” he added.
Salahuddin also shared sector wise details
of losses in held Kashmir, and warned that if international organisations did
not pay immediate attention to the landlocked Himalayan region, hundreds of
thousands of deaths could hardly be prevented.
“Since cholera and famine are gripping the
Valley, fears of more deaths loom large.”
The UJC chief said that soon after the
floods, the mujahideen groups had asked their cadres in held Kashmir to halt
offensive operations against the Indian army and instead focus on relief and
rescue efforts.
Salahuddin demanded of Pakistan to
officially ask India to allow transportation of relief goods from the Line of
Control (LoC).
On Monday, the AJK Legislative Assembly had
made an almost had also made an almost similar demand to India to allow aid to
the marooned population of held Valley through the LoC.
To a question about the help offer by the AJK
government, Salahuddin maintained that he was yet to see any practical step on
the ground in this regard.
…… Tariq Naqash
No comments:
Post a Comment