European Union (EU) parliamentarians calling out brutalities in Kashmir is a welcome development. The dispatch that bears the signature of fifteen parliamentarians speaks volumes about the vulnerabilities of Kashmiri people and the failure of the international powers to solve the dispute. The letter also shows that India’s own mistakes and Pakistan’s diplomatic push continue to validate our stance internationally. The members of the European Parliament (EP) rightly ask the EP to do more over the Kashmir dispute. Presently, when the Indian government’s strategy against COVID-19 in the valley has already alarmed many academics, experts and rights activists, the letter must serve the purpose of an eye-opener, if not an active signal to legislate on India’s transgressions.
The letter of European parliamentarians is a small victory for the people of Kashmir as well as Pakistan. It is not wrong to say that the memo has made Kashmir the point that will determine the EU’s moral compass. Only 15 parliamentarians have so far put their names behind the rebuke to India. More must follow suit if there is to be some sort of censure in the form of sanctions against a state that is an aggressive neighbour to have for all the countries that surround it, not to mention its tactics it employs on both home and disputed soil.
Islamabad needs to work more on creating a global consensus on India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir. The government must understand that just standing on a higher moral pedestal will not help it win the battle against India. The silence of western countries about protests in the US and the subsequent reaction and abuse by authorities tells us that calling out human rights abuses has more to do with diplomatic and economic considerations and alliances. Hence Pakistan’s counter push to India must also be bolstered through more significant economic and political partnerships in blocs and individually with other countries. If we make ourselves a valuable ally to even more states, our narrative will gain traction.