LONDON: Several Kashmiri groups here have taken up cudgels against Pakistan following Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s reported statement that Islamabad will op: pose any independence for Kashmir
The struggle against India could become a struggle now against Pakistan said Afzal Tahir President of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s National Party.
There are signs of what already Four members of Pakistan’s National Assembly were hooted down to meetings in Birmingham and Bradford The Pakistani embassy had to mobilize strong support to prevent this from recurring in Luton north of London. Luton has a large population from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)
A t a recent meeting at the school of Oriental and African Studies where the Indian case was argued by former Foreign Secretary JN Dixit several Pakistani speakers were strongly challenged as the Pakistan presented their arguments about UN resolutions and human rights.
Among those who challenged the Pakistanis was Mr. Anwar Khan who heads the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Committee there are so many flaws in their arguments but people have been too scared before to challenge them publicly Khan said.
He has been challenging Pakistan’s claims to Kashmir openly meetings now The mood is beginning to change he said adding There is a realistic element coming in now a realization that Kashmir will never go to Pakistan.
The Pakistani strategy he said had been at first to encourage groups that sought independence. Once the whole thing seemed (0 be gathering momentum they put forward Tehrik-E-Kashmir which wants Kashmir for Pakistan he said. Now many in the pro-independence groups are feeling betrayed
Most pro-Pakistan groups in Britain have membership from the Mirpur and Koti districts of POK. They have Pakistani passports which give the Pakistani High Commission a hold over them.
But even among them they are beginning to realize that Pakistan has it own agenda and tit they are being used Khan said This will not be a question of India or Pakistan but of democratic mile versus theocratic mile.
A visible change is that groups opposed to Pakistan’s claims have begun for come into the open. Dr .S .Durrani set up the Indo-European Kashmir Forum two years ago primarily to speak for the plight of Kashmiri pandits its members have now begun to campaign aggressively against Pakistan.
People were a little afraid at first because of the murder of Indian diplomat Ravinder Mhatre Dr Durrani said. But we have not put that behind us. Khan’s group and Afzal Tahir’s group have also begun to speak critically of Pakistan’s Claims at public meetings.
Iftikar Malik and Mohammed An two well-known academics who oppose human rights violations in Kashmir also oppose Pakistan’s claims The Pakistani lobby has also indirectly lost the support of British MPs.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 3, 1994
