UNGA adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution co-sponsored by 85 countries reaffirming the international community’s continued support for people’s right to self-determination as a fundamental human right. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said: “Movements for self-determination in Indian-Occupied Kashmir and Palestine will gain momentum after the resolution. The adoption of the resolution on self-determination sends a message to people struggling against the foreign occupation that they are not helpless in their efforts, as promoting the people’s right to self-determination was a part of the UN’s basic principles”. India had forcibly occupied a large part of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 and denied the right of self-determination despite the resolutions passed by the UNSC bestowing on the people the right to join Pakistan or India in a plebiscite to be held under the aegis of the UN. Indian forces have so far killed thousands of Kashmiris in Indian Held Kashmir since its invasion. Many such resolutions have been passed in the UNGA including the one passed in November 2017, but India continues to commit atrocities in the occupied Kashmir, and thousands of people also suffered injuries as some lost their eyes in the pellet gun attacks by the Indian forces. However, India tries to gag the media that highlights death and destruction caused by Indian forces in Indian Held Kashmir. A few months ago, the security clearance of English TV news channel Al Jazeera was withdrawn by the Indian government. While the government did not provide explanation, media reports suggested that the decision was taken after the broadcast of a documentary about militancy in Kashmir. According to official documents, the home ministry had given clearance to Al Jazeera on December 3, 2010, while it was withdrawn on May 29, 2018.
According to a report on Human Rights violations in Kashmir published across the web sites state that between 1989 to date approximately 100000 Kashmiris have been killed by Indian security forces. Additionally, there have been 7500 custodial killings, over 107,351 children have been orphaned, 22,728 women widowed and 9,920 women gang raped, which has brought ignominy to so-called largest democracy in the world. In fact, the above figures send shivers down the spine of all the conscientious people. Indian authorities had at least once confirmed the existence of mass graves in Kashmir, containing bodies of more than 2,000 people. It is also pertinent to mention here that 8,000 Kashmiri people are missing and most of them believed to have been killed by the Indian security forces in fake encounters. To end the nightmare of Kashmiris, international community must pressurize India into implementing the UNSC resolution on Kashmir.
There is no denying that state violence or counter violence never helps solve the problem but the big powers should understand the gravity of the situation and help resolve the Kashmir issue. However, it does not look like they will do it because only when public protest fits into the geopolitical designs of the US and the West that they declare it a popular movement and honour it with the award of a colour label. The orange revolution of Ukraine, the rose revolution of Georgia, the cidar revolution of Lebanon and much earlier velvet revolution of Czechoslovakia would pale before the Kashmiris’ movement for their freedom, yet they were given colours by the colour-blind big powers. It has to be mentioned that in none of the above cases there was a UN mandate whereas Kashmiris have been given their inalienable right of self-determination by the UN in 1948 and 5th January 1949.