The recent verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has already divided the nation politically. The reverberations of the court’s decision were felt in Azad Kashmir as well. ‘House’ Kashmiris can be found on both sides of the Line of Control and Raja Farooq Haider is one such character. The disgruntled Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir recently crossed the limits of sycophancy however, when he stated that they would revaluate the decision to be a part of Pakistan as a result of the decision. His statement has not only mocked Pakistan’s stand for the struggle of Kashmir but completely undermined the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people that have been looking to become a part of Pakistan – all to appease ruling PML-N’s leaders at the centre.
This is the first time any Azad Kashmir PM has gone to such an extent in order to please his superiors. Raja Farooq Haider has no idea how much loss his words have caused to the cause of Kashmir. Doing the rounds on Indian media, it is clear that this statement has handed India a case where there was none. While the transgressions in Indian Occupied Kashmir are there for all to see, the eastern neighbour has always been irked by its inability to sow dissent in AJ&K. Now it can claim that things are not as rosy as they seem on this side either.
The statement is a manifestation of the sad fact of the limited vision our politicians have on issues of national importance. Irrespective of which political party comes to power in Pakistan, the government of Pakistan has always argued for the case of Kashmir’s freedom. It is indeed awful to hear such a foolish remark from the person who represents the will and wishes of the Kashmiri people in Pakistan.
A majority of the Kashmiri population lives under the brutal occupation of India. They have resisted Indian occupation from day one. In the struggle of liberating their homeland, thousands of Kashmiris lost their lives. Many have succumbed to the wounds inflicted upon their bodies in Indian torture cells. Kashmir is a mix of hope and despair; the story of Kashmir is the story of India’s barbarism and greed.
Clearly, it takes someone with a dead conscience to say that Kashmir will think of joining another country. To please his masters in the federal government, Raja Farooq has gone very far. He has rejected as well as ignored all the sacrifices that Kashmiri people have offered to secure their right to self-determination. An apology must be given, alongside a resignation. A man that undermines the Kashmir cause is not fit to lead the brave people he was entrusted to represent.