Had we been blessed with strong-willed leaders like former Turkish president Buland Ecevit and Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash,occupied Kashmir would have been liberated long ago.Absence of political will on the part of our leaders wasted two golden opportunities that fell our way to liberate occupied valley of Kashmir. First was back in 1948 when freedom fighters from this side of the LOC after penetrating Kashmir valley had almost been at a stone’s throw from the Srinagar airport when we were hoodwinked by the Indian leadership with its promise to hold a plebiscite in the occupied valley in case of ceasefire—– a promise which was never kept. Second opportunity that could have been availed of was the border clash between the Indian and Chinese forces in early 1960s when India had to pull out its entire armed force from the occupied valley for shifting it to the Chinese border in order to strength its fortifications in the NEFA valley. The then Indian premier was wise enough to apprehend that Pakistan might seize this opportunity and land its army into Srinigar and in the absence of Indian army it would be a virtual walk over for it. In order to pre-empt that possibility he phoned the then American president to use his good offices for persuading Pakistan from this possible military adventure. The American president rang up our president and like the most obedient servant he didn’t disappoint his paymaster.Students of political science and history know that in contrast to blind allegiance of our leaders to Washington on every issue the Turkish president Bulend Ecivet and Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash had in more or less similar circumstances refused to toe the American line and sent their troops to liberate the Turkish part of Cyprus .The Turkish people still remember them for their political will determination and independent thinking.
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