Sardar Masood Khan, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, appealed to the British Parliament to say “No” to the BJP-RSS regime’s genocide in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
London (Pakistan Point News - 05th February, 2020) Sardar Masood Khan, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, appealed to the British Parliament to say “No” to the BJP-RSS regime’s genocide in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“Say No to Genocide, to land grab, to warmongering and Hindutva”, said the President at a Kashmir conference attended by more than forty Members of Parliament, as well as the representatives of the diaspora community, at the House of Commons today. The Conference was chaired by Honourable Paul Bristow, Conservative MP from Peterborough.
On the eve of the Kashmir Solidarity Day, the President said that the UK Parliament, which is the mother of all Parliaments, should take up its responsibility post-elections and post-Brexit. “You helped us internationalise the Kashmiri issue following India’s illegal steps on August 5 last year. We need your help again”, said.
He appreciated the constructive role of the diaspora community, especially of the young, dynamic leader Faheem Kiyani, who has organised multiple successful rallies in the UK against Indian occupation and atrocities.
Sharing harrowing and horrendous details of Indian crimes against humanity in IOJK, President Masood Khan informed his audience that India was preparing the ground for “the recreation and re-enactment of Auschwitz on a much larger scale”, while the most powerful nations are busy appeasing a regime that openly preaches and practices fascism. He said that after invading, besieging and bifurcating the State, without the consent of the people, India was now preparing for the extermination of the Kashmiris and occupying their land by constructing illegal settlements and importing Hindu population from India.
“Hundreds have been killed, thousands of young boys have been abducted and put in concentration camps, women have been molested”, he said adding that Black Cat commandos in their raids on the houses use pellet guns, automatic weapons, mortars, chemical weapons, grenades and rockets. “This is a war against unarmed Kashmiris. They (occupation forces) always use live ammunition”, he said.
The President quoted former Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram who had recently said: “Money is not a substitute for freedom”, while commenting on budgetary allocation for the occupied territory. Mr. Chidambaram had said: "What the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh require is freedom. The people of Kashmir need restoration of their human rights. Only a free society, people breathing free air can enjoy the fruit of development and participate in the development process. If they think they can take away freedom and substitute with money, they are completely wrong”.
Genocide in IOJK
President Masood Khan also presented the assessment of the US-based Genocide Watch which had warned that India’s Kashmir policy, after initial stages symbolisation, dehumanisation, deployment of 900,000 troops and polarisation, had moved to the 7th and 8th stages of Persecution’ of Kashmiris on a massive scale and preparation for their extermination. “The next stages are extermination and denial. India is talking of a Final Solution, ‘bringing prosperity’ and ‘normal situation’ – this is denial”, Masood Khan said.
“It is now up the UN to stop this impending extermination of Kashmiris and warn India not to commit genocide”, the President said.
He appealed to the UK Parliament to play its role to mobilise the UN Security Council to stop genocide in IOJK and stop India’s warmongering that is imperilling the security of the region and the world.
He urged the Parliamentarians to issue a fresh report on the situation in IOJK, post-August 5, 2019 under the banner of the All-Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group, hold a fresh debate on Kashmir, raise the human rights situation in Prime Minister’s Question Hours, send communications to the UN leadership, and censure India on its flagrant violation of the rights of Kashmiri women and children.
President Masood Khan called upon the ruling Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to invoke human rights instruments in the context of IOJK while negotiating a trade deal with India.
“In the meantime, the world should seriously think of starting a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against the BJP-RSS regime in India”, he said.
The President said that many powerful nations are hesitant to take sides because of the apprehension of a war that could lead to a nuclear exchange. “We have the same apprehension as India continues to whip up war hysteria, but in turn think of the cost of not doing anything at all. Will the world be saved by inaction?”
The AJK President said that while the most compelling priority was stopping the genocide, diplomatic efforts should be set in motion to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which is the root cause of the turbulence in the region. “Kashmiris, who are the key party to the dispute, must be put at the centre of the diplomatic process so that they can be given their fundamental right to self-determination”, he said adding that if the UN is loath to take action, Kashmiris will be pushed against the wall and they will have to take all measures to protect their lives, dignity, women, homes, neighbourhoods and their State.
The President thanked and commended all political parties – Conservative, Labour, Scottish National Party, and Liberal-Democrats – for supporting the Kashmiris and adopting a cross-party approach towards political and human rights dimensions of the Kashmir issue.
Later in the evening, the President also addressed another Kashmir Conference in the British Parliament convened by Raja Najabat, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Self-Determination Movement – International, which was attended by a large number of British Parliamentarians. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Dame Winterton, made a special appearance in the conference.
