He made this comment amid criticism of the private electronic media of Pakistan for not airing stories on time on death and destruction caused by Indian shelling in Neelum valley and other AJK areas along the Line of Control (LoC).
“The media does not have any financial interests in this territory. They look at our blood with the prism of business, which is unfortunate,” Haider remarked in his speech at the swearing in of the TV Journalists Association on Monday, making it clear that his criticism was directed at the owners and policy makers and not the correspondents.
However, he also acknowledged that the media in Pakistan was facing censorship.
“The censorship that the media is facing today has no precedence in the past except during the last days of Pervez Musharraf and prior to him during the rule of Gen Ayub Khan.”
Haider said he wanted to strengthen AJK TV for an extensive coverage of the struggle and sacrifices of the Kashmiris as well as the unprecedented brutalities by India’s occupation machinery.
He said he had also been calling for up-gradation of the state run radio stations in AJK to boost the morale of struggling Kashmiris and effectively counter Indian propaganda.
Referring to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) elections, he said it was surprising that a “four months old newborn party” had emerged as the largest party there.
“But I want to warn all concerned that the replication of what has been done in Gilgit [Baltistan] will not be allowed here [AJK]. This drama is not possible here, and its consequences will be very dangerous,” he said.
Terming the campaigning by the leaders of different mainstream political parties in GB as “rumbustiousness” he said he was averse to their intervention.
“Is it [GB] a booty that you had to divide among yourselves? Or is it a conquered land or crown land or a pasture,” he said and added: “I tell you honestly that neither any service has been done to the GB people nor to Pakistan or Kashmir, and very soon the GB people will also realize it.”
Haider regretted that the GB people had “disassociated themselves from Kashmir which in turn had dealt a blow to the Kashmir freedom struggle.”
“Who says GB is not part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This step [conversion of GB into province] has also disrespected the judgments of superior courts of AJK and Pakistan.”
“Since a part of my body has been detached, I am hurt and therefore I cannot help but express my feelings. But the time will itself decide whether this decision will go in favour of or against Pakistan.”
In the same breath, he reiterated his earlier statement that as long as AJK remained in existence, neither India nor Pakistan could swipe the Kashmir issue under the carpet.
“This [AJK] will continue to prick them… We have sworn allegiance to the state of Pakistan and not any political party.”
Haider said he believed that Pakistan would not get anything from the Security Council as far as the Kashmir issue was concerned.
“In fact we have lowered our status so much that nobody gives us a damn. We can however get something from those who work on human rights and we should reach out to them with evidence of flagrant human rights violations by Indian government.”
Towards the end of his speech, he also took a jibe at the AJK judiciary while asking journalists to ensure the version of both parties in their stories.
“They give stay orders without ascertaining our viewpoint… But journalists should not file stories without obtaining the views of the other side.”
Tariq Naqash
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