“Current Kashmir Crises and Policy Steps Taken by Pakistan”

There are so many crises in Kashmir are present now and there are so many reasons for
this. Kashmir is one of the most disputed places on earth. Over the course of time there were
wars in this beautiful valley between two massive armies. It is a stage of conflict between India
and Pakistan. Three powerful countries whose eye is on Kashmir are India, Pakistan and China.
China invaded some portion of Kashmir from India and Pakistan gave some portion of Kashmir
to China as a gift. So it is important to start when they were being drawn.

From Beginning to Present:

In the mid-1800s, India was a land of many provinces and princely states under British
rule. Then so many movements were brought up and a moment of freedom had been started
through Muslim’s great leaders. They gave sacrifices for the freedom and also gave ideology and
the most prominent ideology was “Two Nation Theory” which was given by Sir Syed Ahmed
Khan and was put in work by many prominent scholars like Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama
Iqbal. After the many sacrifices and struggles eventually British had to leave the India and had to
give this place to Muslims and Hindus. They hastily decided to spill the region into two. Muslim-
majority areas would be a new country, Pakistan and other one with Hindu-majority would be
India. The partition was bloody. There was a choice which was given to the princely states that
whatever if they want they can join either country India or Pakistan. Many monarchs give this
right to the people but monarch of Kashmir said they want to remain neutral. It had a Muslim
majority population but was ruled by Hindu monarch, fearing that he would join India the
Kashmiri population rebelled in Kashmir in 1947. Armed tribesman from KPK Pakistan also
joined the fight then the monarch turned towards India for help but India said that it will help but
on one condition that you have to give Kashmir under Indian ruling which sparked the first Indo-
Pak war in Kashmir in 1947 then this matter was gone to the UN Security Council and it
brokered a ceasefire in 1949, which established a line. It also asked Pakistani tribesmen to
withdraw and Indian troops to follow, so that Kashmir could hold a direct vote to decide its own
future but this was not happened. Pakistan argued that Kashmir's Muslim majority population
rightfully belonged with them while India insisted that Kashmir was handed over to them by the
Hindu monarch, so they doubled down and added Kashmir to their constitution. The vote was
never held. Both countries continued to overcome this region for decades.

In 1965, the second India-Pakistan war was started in Kashmir. Thousands of people
were killed between the huge armies on both sides. The war was ended but there was no any
effect on line of control. Kashmir was kept divided and occupied.

In 1971, another war was started but this time focus was not on Kashmir but it was on
East Pakistan. India helped the people of East-Pakistan and it was separated from Pakistan and
became a country named Bangladesh. Pakistan lost its eastern half. This made Kashmir more
important than ever. Then the situations became worst because Pakistan and India deployed
planes, tanks and soldiers along the LOC and it became one of the most militarized place on
earth.

In 1987, India rigged in an election declaring a pro-India party as the winner. They were
again betrayed and no any right of vote was given to them. Thousands of Kashmir came out on
streets for protest against the occupation but the Indian troops met the movement of
independence with harsh resistance which quickly escalated to more violence. More than 600
people were killed in clashes between troops and separatists. Kashmiri militias started recruiting
Muslim youth to fight for the independence and increasingly attacked the Indian military.
Pakistan provided weapons training and financial support to the separatists. India deployed
500,000 troops to Kashmir. India crushed the movement through mass arrests, suppression of
rights and political initiatives. Many civilians were killed.

In 1998, India conducted three underground nuclear tests at Pokhran. Pakistan also
conducted five underground nuclear tests. Now Kashmir became a battleground between two
nuclear-armed nations. And another war started in 1999 at Indian-controlled area of Kargil.
During this time militants also crossed line and went to the Indian-ruled Kashmir. This war was
ended but didn't stop either country.

In 2001, Lashkar-e-Taiba exploded the bomb in Parliament building in New Delhi,

killing 14 people and in 2008, militants from the same group came to Mumbai and killed many
people and wounded 300 people. Then India became aggressive and started military attacks on
Kashmir by firing bullets on unarmed protesters. They blamed Kashmir’s people that they helped
the militants and carried out violence against the Indian forces.

In 2019, the suicide bomber Adil Dar from Pulwama, Kashmir attacked a convoy of
Indian military. Adil was humiliated in 2016 and also was shot at his leg in the same year. The
next year Dar left home with his brothers and joined a group Jaish-e-Mohammad and after all
this he attacked the military convoy.

Present of view of Kashmir is that there is an uneasy calm within this beautiful valley.
There is a crackdown in the valley. Soldiers came to see for the violence creating protesters. Men
were pulled forcibly from their beds tortured and beaten. People are feared to reveal their
identities. Soldiers use to kick them, hit them with rods and cables and give them electric shocks.
People are crying and asking, “What is our crime” but they do not want to hear anything. They
do not say anything, they just keep beating. When they faint they give them shocks to bring them
back round. They put mud in their mouths to stop them from yelling. This torture is unbearable
for them. They pulled people from their beards and tried to burn their beard because these are
Muslims. Indian army gave statement upon these allegations that “These allegations are baseless
and unsubstantiated”.
 They hang civilians upside down and beat them for more than one hour. They break their
legs. Militants are seen by Indians as Pakistani sponsored terrorists. There is a curfew. Internet
and mobile services are not active. They cannot communicate with outside the world and cannot
raise their voice globally. It has been entirely cut off from the rest of world. People are
mourning. Soldiers are using tear gases and it causes suffocation. In addition to tear gas they also
use pellet guns for years to quell unrest in Kashmir. These guns do not kill but causes life
changeable disabilities. In the name of Law and Order, Indian forces have license to shoot. More
than sixty people have been admitted to hospital for the pellet cases after the lockdown.
Thousands of people are being arrested without any charge and there is no any indication when
or if they will be released. Extra judicial killings, fake encounters where they took people to
forest and there they murder them mutilate their faces. Due to the cut off the connection these all
incidents are kept quiet by authorities.

Policy Steps taken by Pakistan:

 Pakistan used every political and diplomatic option to pursue a path at the United
Nations.
 It has raised voice against illegal, illegitimate and unlawful actions in Kashmir valley.
 It has raised voice at Security Council session against the violated international laws by
Indian Government.
 It has tried to de-escalate the situation in every possible way.
 Due to efforts of Pakistan UN has said that this problem should be solved according to
UN charter.

Policy Steps should be taken by Pakistan:

 The main stakeholders are the Kashmiris so their opinion should be heard properly.
 Every second day Kashmiris are being killed so Pakistan should take immediate actions.
 The best way to handle the Kashmiri situation is to have a Dialogue and should support
the Kashmiris to hold the referendum.
 Reference Link:
https://www.bbc.com/news/10537286

 Map of Kashmir