Saturday, August 20, 2011

Discrediting Kashmir movement or defaming ISI

Dr Raja Muhammad Khan

For the past many years, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, an ambassador of peace, has been promoting the Kashmir cause, considering this as the birthright of Kashmiris, guaranteed by Article 1 of UN Charter. Since the start of renewed Kashmiri struggle, the only message Dr Fai used to have for Kashmiris was; to fight for their right using peaceful ways and means. This icon though originally hailed from the Indian Occupied Kashmir, but is a US citizen since last many decades. His arrest by US Justice Department is highly regretful. The humiliating charges levelled by US on this peace promoter are that, he was getting money from ISI to influence US lawmakers for the promotion of Kashmir cause in US against the Indian occupation. Seeing the record of accomplishment, this indeed is the most unjust arrest; the US Justice Department has ever made.

The arrest indeed has many subtext attached to it, timings of the being the most significant. Dr Fai has been arrested at a time once US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was on her four days tour to India, where she was to please her host by demonstrating as if US is serious to promote bilateral relations with India at any cost, may that be the negation of its previous commitment. Indeed, through out during the cold war the US has been the most significant promoter of the Kashmir cause and has supported all UN resolutions on Kashmir, promising them their right of self-determination. Since Dr Fai was only promoting the just cause of Kashmiris, as per UN resolutions therefore, by arresting him, the US has indirectly negated its own commitment for the promotion of relationship with an oppressor.

It is worth mentioning a number of Indian lobbies are active in the US, UK and many other European countries to create misperception on Kashmir and about Pakistan, why US Justice Department is not arresting them.

Another significant aspect related to this arrest is the ongoing row of tension between CIA and ISI. Through this deliberate act, the US intelligence set up; CIA and FBI, desired to humiliate the ISI, by maligning it everywhere and anywhere to cause an embarrassment. This indeed, is part of US retaliation against ISI, after it opposed the release of a CIA operative, Raymond Davis, who was arrested on multiple charges of murder and spying. The US raid in Abbottabad and subsequent defaming campaign of CIA and the US media are part of this malicious campaign and to destabilise Pakistan internally.

This campaign indeed designed to attain three objectives. First being to pressurise Pakistan to an extent, where it stops opposing the future Indian role in Afghanistan, to the satisfaction of US and India. This would exclude Pakistan from any possible facilitating role in any future set-up of Afghanistan. Second objective could be to deactivate Pakistan to a level, where it stops supporting the Kashmir cause at the international level. Thirdly, US desire that Pakistan should combat only those militants who are anti-Americans and follow US lines, rather protecting its own security. How Pakistan could pull on with this unrealistic and one-sided affair.

It is to the visualization of the civilized people of United States to stop their ruling class and spying network from these discriminatory acts against Kashmiris. Rather assisting them in getting their right of self-determination, the US is involving itself in criminal detention and arrest of Kashmiris on the footprints of India, which has killed over 93,000 Kashmiris since 1990.

Dr Fai was only promoting peaceful resolution of Kashmir for a mutual co-existence of all in South Asia, currently marred by instability and conflicts, mainly owing to unresolved nature of Kashmir.

Realistically, it is about time to give peace a chance, as there has been a lot of bloodshed of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian security forces. If peace-loving people like Dr Fai are humiliated and arrested like this, then Kashmiris would have a realization that, the US has joined hands with India for the oppression of Kashmiris. This would promote violence among them, thus pushing Kashmiris to the walls. This would compel Kashmiris to rethink their peaceful political movement and restart their armed struggle for their rightful cause, as given to them by UN Charter and UN resolutions.

The writer is an analyst of international relations.