WASHINGTON, FEB 6 (APP/DNA):The World Kashmir Awareness Forum (WKAF), a prominent advocacy group, hired mobile trucks that flashed messages in Washington that called on the United Nations to fulfill its pledge to the people of Jammu & Kashmir for the exercise their right to self-determination.
The electronic screens on the trucks carried messages such as: “Indian Forces: Out of Kashmir”; “No justice: No Peace”; “Freedom for all: Freedom for Kashmir”; “India: Stop Land Grabbing in Kashmir;” “India: Stop Demographic Terrorism in Indian Occupied Kashmir”; “Elections in Kashmir Just in Name: Indian Government Has no Shame”; “Hold India Accountable for War Crimes in Kashmir”; “No Election, and “No Selection: UN Resolutions Only Solution’:
“Digital advertising has proved to be the most effective way to spread a message as the brightly lit words on the screens catch attention of the people walking on the streets and those coming in and out of government and commercial buildings,” Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice, said in a statement marking the
“Our objective was to target the audience at the right places, and we were able to control the location where most of the people were able to notice our messages aimed at promoting the cause of Kashmir.”
The route of digital truck in Washington included: All federal buildings, including the State Department; the Capitol Hill; Library of Congress; The Washington Monument; The White House; foreign embassies, various Museums; Lincoln Memorial; Washington National Cathedral; the Indian Embassy; the World Bank and the IMF.
While thanking the people of Pakistan for their continuous diplomatic support for the cause of Kashmir, Dr. Fai said that the response by the world powers, including the United States, to the Kashmiri situation must be based on the principles of the right of a people with a distinct historical and cultural identity to decide their own future; the sanctity of international agreements worked out by the United Nations; a peaceful and stable subcontinent free from the possibility of a regional nuclear exchange; and the consistent application of human rights standards.
Dr. Fai appealed to the UN Secretary-General , Antonio Guterres, to appoint a special envoy to break the impasse over Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
Dr. Imtiaz Khan, a noted Kashmiri American scholar, said that Kashmir Solidarity Day serves as an opportunity to raise global awareness about the situation in Kashmir, bringing attention to the human rights abuses and the prolonged conflict that continues to affect millions of people.
He added that the observance of this day also serves to remind the international community of its responsibility in advocating for the protection of human rights and encouraging diplomatic efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully. The day also serves to offer moral support to the Kashmiri people, many of whom have lived in fear, experiencing violence, and facing displacements over the years.
“The solidarity efforts provide a platform for them to be heard on the global stage. Political leaders, human rights organizations, and activists frequently use this day to call for the protection of Kashmiri civilians, the cessation of military violence, and the promotion of dialogue between India and Pakistan,” Dr. Imtiaz Khan said.
Ali Shahnawaz Khan, National Director of Scandinavian Kashmir Council, Norway, said had there been popular support in Kashmir for joining India, the dispute over Kashmir would have lasted for a year or so at the most. It would have dissolved long ago.
He forewarned India that it is time to end the violence. It’s time to end the charade. It’s time for Kashmiris to sort out their own affairs and determine their own future, Ali Khan added.
Ali S. Khan, a Kashmiri activist, highlighted that there must be an early resolution to the Jammu & Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. He said that the people of Occupied Kashmir should never feel alone in their struggle. The people and leadership of Azad Kashmir stand by them.
Sardar Zarif Khan, Advisor to the President of Azad Kashmir, emphasized that the sanctity of Kashmir cause must be respected as its legality was recognized by the United Nations.
He reiterated that India and Pakistan were both nuclear-weapon states and that factor makes the Kashmir dispute potentially the most dangerous in the world. “It is therefore in the interest of the U.S. to prevent this dispute from exploding into a conflict which can be catastrophic for a large proportion of the human race.”
Sardar Shoaib Irshad, General Secretary of the Kashmir American Welfare Association (KAWA) emphasized that Kashmiris are making enormous sacrifices for attaining freedom and it is the obligation of the diaspora and all other people who share their sentiments to educate the masses in United States and other countries about Kashmir problem and ongoing atrocities in that region.
Sardar Zubair Khan, a prominent community leader & founding member of KAWA demanded that the Government of India must release all political prisoners, like Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Masarat Aalam Bhat, Aasia Andrabi, Khurram Parvez; and repeal all black laws, including the Domicile Law which is designed to change the majority community into minority. Sardar Zubair Khan added that a suppression of the freedom of opinion and assembly means empowering terroristic elements.
Sardar Aftab Roshan Khan, an activist, called for building awareness about the situation in Kashmir by redoubling the outreach to advocates for human rights and human dignity. He said that the people of Kashmir should remember that their sacrifices will not go in vain.
Raja Liaqat Kiyani, President of the Kashmir House, Washington, said that the leadership of the people of Kashmir must be involved in any effort yo resolve the Kshmir dispute.
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