United Kashmir Peoples National Party
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An Appeal to World Community

According to Article (2) of the United Nations Universal Declaration
of Human Rights,
Every one is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in
this declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race,
colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion based
national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. Further
more, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political,
jurisdictional, or international status of the country or territory
to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust on-self
governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty

This clause is an eternal reminder of the rights and duties borne by
every responsible citizen of any place on Earth. My objective here
is to draw its relevance in our society and polity. Unless the
violation of our fundamental rights committed are brought to the
widespread discern of various international human rights watchdogs,
political and socially enlightened intelligentsia, the Kashmiri
people will not be able to observe the cause of their struggle to
find a voice for themselves in the global playground. Such an
awakening is of utmost connotation to arouse the people of Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir to liberate themselves from the chain of anarchy,
nepotism, slavery and discrimination that has been in practice on
the basis of interim constitution of 1974.
In recent years many Kashmiri nationalists have started a campaign
for their national rights such as installation of Kashmir National
Bank, Anti mangla dam extension activities, and the abolishment of
the disputed clauses of act 1974, which are not only contrary to the
United Nations resolutions on Kashmir but also violate the
fundamental rights and freedom of people of Pakistani Administered
Kashmir. Many international governments have pressurised the
Government of so called Azad Kashmir through Government of Pakistan
to amend such clauses which is a clear vindication of the rights and
political, social and economic aspirations of the people of Kashmir,
striving towards the realisation of an independent Kashmir. Non
violent demonstrations have been unlawfully curtailed and political
activists have been stripped off their rights to express themselves
in a very cruel manner. Such curbs put on the voice of the people
are indicative of the authoritarian and totalitarian approach taken
up by the government of Pakistani Administered Kashmir (PoK),to
silence their national and international critics and eventually
restraint the call for a truly democratic and independent Kashmir.
The then Prime Minister of' "Azad" Kashmir, Sardar Sikandar Hayat
had made a press statement that the disputed and unpolitical clause
which is as '' No person or political party in Azad Kashmir shall
be allowed to take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to
the ideology of state's accession to Pakistan'', would be abolished
soon. But that pledge has not been fulfilled before the forthcoming
general elections of July2006. The nomination papers which were
submitted by the Nationalists (UKPNP) from twenty four
constituencies were rejected as they did not take oath of the
ideology of Kashmir's accession to Pakistan. A great majority is
struggling for their democratic and constitutional rights in
Pakistani Administered Kashmir since years, but there has been no
significant support for them to get their rights and win back their
freedom.

Taking into account the state of the people of Gilgit and Baltistan
are, who have been living under siege since 59 years, Section 144 is
still implemented there as more than three or four people cannot
walk together. Kidnapping, killings, harassment, solitary
confinement and all malicious tactics are being used against
political workers of that area. Repression of social and political
opinions of the people to the righteous media is the concern that is
at stake to the aspirations of an independent Kashmir.
We earnestly appeal to the world community to pressurize the
Government of Pakistan to stop these violations and allow people of
various schools of thoughts, regardless of their political and
nationalist leanings, to exercise their fundamental right to partake
in the elections without any discrimination.


We hope this appeal would not go unheard.

Jamil Maqsood
General Secretary
United Kashmir Peoples National Party
 

  How to bring Change in primitive Society   

  Jamil Maqsood    Brussels

 Many societies still live under the shadow of medieval darkness. Their presence in the modern world is a glaring evidence of the existence of primitive societies. Their existence in the modern world is a clear indication of the effect that collusion of societies could bring. Countries, distinguished by their economic, social, political and scientific milestones have taken little account of these tribal societies. There are still many countries where societies are primitive and living under irrelevant and ill equipped socio-economic, political system, unfit for practice and adaptation to the modern world. Most of those societies are in the 3rd world. The African continent is the best instance, where this baffling political anarchy based social system exists even today. In spite of its rich natural resources, the continent is unable to imbibe its wealth in helping the people to create a fine transition into the modern social system. Why does tribalism exist even in the 21^{st century and how can we eradicate this aspect of ruling from our society and replace it with the fundamental characteristics of modernity? Third world countries, including many Muslim nations, are still marred by the features of religious extremism, and primitive ideologies. We can see it every where from Sudan to Pakistan and its inevitable consequences can be felt in Kashmir's society}

^{1- Lack of Education.}

^{2- Lack of fundamental facilities for every one.}

^{3- Lack of infrastructure.}

^{4- Lack of small scale and large industries.}

^{5- Lack of manpower utilization.}

^{6- Lack of gender equality and female empowerment.}

^{It is obvious that no society can progress ahead  without education, but unfortunately education in such old societies is regarded as an offshoot of the tribal , religious and cultural aspects , and is apparently, divided into many sections:-}

^{1- Traditional Education.}

^{2- Radical Education}

^{3- Modern or Oxford Education.}

^{The Kashmiri society can be analyzed in terms of its educational structure. Common people mostly are deprived of the modern education that English medium schools offer, owing to a variety of factors like exorbitant fees. The apparent disparate nature of education being provided to the different sections of the society, and its inherent discriminatory rooting is evident in the Kashmiri society .Even the children of the teachers of Government schools in the traditional educational system are going to English medium schools  and institutions are not taking notice of deteriorating educational standard in the area. How we can expect a good result from those experts which have been recruited in the educational system who are not able to teach their own children? This is serious question before us today? We are demanding for independence of our state of Jammu and Kashmir but we are not ready to address prevailing issues of the society like social justice, rule of law, end of constitutional restraints, and motion for industrialization, infrastructure and youth employment. The ruling elite deliberately want to keep our people and the educated youth underprivileged so that they would never demand political rights further. Nowadays people are confounded and driven by the different political parties, who are working to manipulate the minds of innocent people with their whimsical ideologies and promises. They are the least worried about the granting of fundamental needs of the people in the divided state.}

^{Religious Education: - Poor people, often seek alternatives to proper modern education by sending their children to traditional religious schools or Madrassas. These are evidently outdated forms of schooling that cannot mould or bring up any modern citizen .The values inculcated in these religious schools are neither for the contemporary society nor for the individual’s personality development. School of thought comprising peace, harmony, brotherhood and Ijtihad are often replaced by conflicting ideas on Jihad and Holy War, which were intended to cater to a specific group of people in warring times. Instead of adapting themselves to modern political systems, they urge youngsters to not deviate from the primitive socio-cultural and religious thoughts. The ultimate aim is to repress the inherent need to rise up against the establishment. Struggle against relevant social evils and questioning the roots of their existence is often curbed by such schools of thought. This is because these teachings are based on a form of unquestionable authority, totalitarian in principle and demanding absolute acceptance. A society which is built upon the fundamental rights freedom of thought and _expression will not necessarily require absolute conformity to any ideology. Nepotism, bigotry, communalism, religious violence, lack of tolerance, killing on the basis of political misunderstanding is many things that the youth should be aware. The question is how far this strict form of religious education provided by the Madrassas produce responsible, motivated and encouraging youth to the society who are going to be the torchbearers of tomorrow’s world. In the age of technological leaps and bounds, the confinement of education to religious thoughts is the building block for an ignorant society, which can look forward to its past and not to the future. These schools will end up ‘contributing’ more ‘Jihadis’ and hence complete the cycle of events leading to absolute power wielded by religion and blind faith in the notion that dying in the name of religion rewards a person with eternal paradise. In the quest for paradise and the hereafter, is it necessary to jeopardise the present of the youth, who can gather their intellectual and physical skills for their own independence from this mindless chain of religious weaponry. It is high time that the societies eliminates the self-proclaimed leadership of Madrassas in education, and revamp the existing ones to promote the modern values. Education is the overall moulding of an individual and to rely on the misconception that religion can take care of every individual’s needs is farcical. This is the reason why terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Harkat Ul Ansar, Hizbul Mujahideen, and many more sprouting under the umbrella of Madrassas mercenaries, are still occupying unwarranted recognition in Pakistan. They are still financed by Pakistani military to accomplish their designs in the region particularly and internationally in general. Regarding international situation, war against terror is still making no progress in Pakistan because Pakistan is fighting against those who are unorganized in its North West Frontier of Pakistan (NWFP). But at the same time she is training Jihadis in different parts of Pakistan to carry attacks across line of control. Illiteracy and ignorance of such people are advantageous to the Theo-fascist aspirations of the Pakistani military in the region. Imaging the enemy as a religious opponent is the best way to cowardly manipulate the ignorant communities. Such a basis of conflict can be felt in the bedrock of Pakistani society, where even various threads of the same religion are fighting with each other, claiming superiority over the other. In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan mosques are not safe, each school thought is claiming other as Kafirs (Non Muslims), and they have waged a war against each other. The Government has no control over these sectarian militant groups. In fact in Pakistan there is alliance between the Army, Feudal Lords and Mullahs (religious clerics).}

^{Modern ‘Oxford’ Education is only given to the country's high class or upper society children. They are given to the privileged sections of society, where training in voluntary and advanced skills are required. Although this is the real education that has to be granted to one and all in the society, the exclusion of such fundamental necessities to the elite is a glaring example of the hypocrisy prevalent in the society. Knowledge of ancient and modern history, science and technology, medicine, Information Technology are presumed to be for their consumption and understanding only. As such this indiscriminate practice leads to the privileged ruling the underprivileged. They occupy high positions in the state institutions, and also avail the benefits like study abroad scholarships , and eventually obtain the right of self determination for their life.Beacon House international school, city school and many others are producing country elite, but traditional , radical school have failed to produce any notable people for society.}

^{Lack of institutional authority and an independent judiciary is a dilemma in the state's system. Each profitable industry, pace has given to AWT (Army Welfare Trust), the umbrella organization to protect and safeguard the interests of Pakistani military establishment. For example in the recent years many retired generals have been appointed as ambassadors in many countries where they will utilize their military experience to build diplomatic relationship it’s a joke with those people who spent years in the filed of diplomacy but super seated by retired generals. According to facts, each military general is lavished with the luxury of 32 Crore Rupees, a Bungalow, life time servants, driver, gardener and a cook, and as if this weren’t enough, many squares of agricultural land as well.}

^{This is very painful and sad scenario of Pakistan and this directly affects the people living under unsocial, undemocratic, apolitical system in Pakistan Administered Kashmir including Gilgit , Baltistan and Hunza are direct victims of this rotten social order. They are propagated by various schools of thought in the name of religion, accession to Pakistan and nationalism, Socialism etc. No one is coming forward to address their daily life problems, the deprivation of fundamental rights and freedoms. We are looking that those political parties which can't struggle against dictatorship in Pakistan or to safeguard public interests in Pakistan are establishing their organizations and units in Pakistani Administered Kashmir. What is this?}

^{In the end I' would like to appeal all those who want to revive history, culture, languages, of the divided state of Jammu - Kashmir on both side should recognize and differentiate between friends and foes. Until we clearly draw a line between these two, we can't make any significant contribution for the people of primitive society of Kashmir.}

^{We must raise voice for. 1- Industrialization 2- skill based Modern education 3- youth employment programs   4- Methodology to promote local industry to empower our women who are idle at homes after their college or university education. 5- Sports.}

^{Don't like for others which you don't like for yourself.}

^{Jamil Maqsood}

^{General Secretary}

^{United Kashmir Peoples National Party}

SELF STYLE ADVOCATE

Pakistan got Balawaristan (occupied Gilgit Baltistan) declared as a disputed territory in the UN on August 13th,1948 and January 5th,1949 and brought it under its illegal occupation instead of complying UN resolutions. Since then, Pakistan is continuously refusing to hand over this territory to the real owners i.e 2 million people of Balawaristan. There is a lot of contradiction in its stand adopted at internal and external fronts. At home front, the people of Pakistan are told that the whole of Kashmir (85000 sq miles) belongs to Pakistan, while at international fronts, efforts are made to give impression that Jammu and Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris and their opinion should be asked.

But any Kashmiri including Balawaristani, if dares to express his views against Pakistan, is either got killed or kidnapped by the Pakistan army or ISI. For example, Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri was kidnapped twice and Dr. Muzaffar Ali Reley who was abducted three years ago, is still missing. More than 70 politicians including me of Balawaristan, who expressed their political opinion peacefully, were tortured and cases of treason against them were registered. In short, the people of Balawaristan have no right of expression even inside their home land.

In 1994, "Balawaristan times" was banned. In 1998, Gilgit Digest was banned and it's copies were seized. In 1999, Raja Hussain Khan Maqpoon, the owner and chief editor of weekly K-2, was put behind the bars and his property was seized, because he had raised voice in favour of the people of Balawaristan. Earlier he was harassed by the officials of revenue Department and agents of Pakistan repeatedly.
False and self styled advocate (Pakistan) on other hand, is trying to fulfill its ugly designs of merger of this region with it's northern areas of Swat, Dir and Malakhand etc. after changing the name of Balawaristan as Northern Areas and sending Pakistan and Afghan Taliban to the region.

Presently Pakistan TV in it's programmes, by the instructions of Government is showing Balawaristan with its northern areas as namely Dir, Swat and Malakhund. The disputed Balawaristan is being shown as part of Pakistan, actually confusion is being created about the status of this area, there seems no justification to call these areas as Northern Areas of Pakistan. Even during Maharaja rule, Balawaristan was described as frontier North province of Kashmir. In the UN resolution, it has been described sparsely populated mountainous region, located in the North. Pakistan, as a self styled advocate, has succeeded to delay the case of Balawaristan in UN, but it has no right to declare Balawaristan as Northern Areas of Pakistan, which actually lies to the North of Kashmir and India and South of Central Asia.

The people of this region announce that their motherland is not a northern area of any country. Pakistan got freedom 52 years ago and till date it has lost more than half of its area. Earlier the people residing on the geographical location of present Pakistan were slaves to outsiders including Turkish, Afghan, Arab, British and Kashmiri rulers. Its history is full of foreign invaders like Babar, Akbar, Ghouri, Mohd-bin-Qasim and Ghaznavi. There seems no name of a local ruler, that is why the people of Pakistan do not want a sorry finger while praising the foreign invaders, even though China and Korea made the missiles, they got them subscribed the name of Afghan (Ghauri). Before 1974, Balawaristan was called Gilgit Baltistan, which had a dozen political districts.

Before 1948, Baltistan was a tehsil of Ladakh, which has been now divided into two districts of Ghanchhe and Skardu. On April 28th, 1949, in a fraud agreement at Karachi, between Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Baltistan area was named as Ladakh and other areas as Gilgit Agency. During Maharaja and British rule, local rulers enjoyed full internal autonomy. Earlier, there were dozens of local rulers. Before 6 B.C. Brooshaski speaking people ruled the area, then Balti speaking people established their rule right from Ladakh to Chitral, and then Sheena speaking people at last.

Nawaz Khan Naji, founder of Balawaristan National Front, after research, has reached the conclusion that the region had three above mentioned names. The Brooshoo, Balti and Sheen caste scattered over 28,000 sq. miles speak different languages. They may reside anywhere but they are the real inhabitants and identity of the nation.

People settled on our land, after 1947, by Pakistan, under a conspiracy to convert local population into minority and get desired results in plebiscite, cannot be the part of our nation in any case. However the people, who entered into the boundaries of Balawaristan State before 1947 and adopted culture and local language abandoning their former language and culture, can be recognised as citizens of Balawaristan. Dardistan, Bloristan and Brooshal are the historic names of this region. It would be undemocratic to ignore two castes and enforce one's name on them.

Apart from five castes, three big mountains Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush are also the identity of this region. Keeping in view all the geographical and historical facts, a name that represents Chitral, Sheenaki Kohistan to Baltistan, a common name be proposed for this region. Nawaz Khan Naji considers Balawaristan as the appropriate name for this region. Loyal intellectuals and writers, excluding ISI agents, can give their proposals on this issue. We appeal to journalists, politicians and writers, that they should not write Balawaristan as Northern Areas, for giving Pakistan a chance to create confusion about the disputed region, annexing it with its own areas of Dir, Swat and Malakhand.