ROLE OF J & K

On April 28th, 1949, Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, a Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) leader and Sardar Ibrahim Khan, so-called President of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) authorised Mushtaq Ahmed Gormani, a Pakistani Minister to take over the administration of Balawaristan (Gilgit Baltistan) through a fake document. The people residing in Balawaristan expanded over 28000 sq. miles were neither consulted nor told about this act. Fake document carries the text, that the affairs of Gilgit Ladakh would be run by a Pakistani political agent. Even technically, the document has no importance, because the, so-called Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), President has repeatedly said that he never signed any such document.

It means that the document is a fake and at the same time one more mistake was committed in the document, because the word "Ladakh" in place of Baltistan has been written, while Ladakh is with India and Baltistan remained as a Tehsil of Ladakh till 1948. It is ironical, that there is no Pakistani political agent now. It is astonishing, that the people of Balawaristan were unaware of the whole game played by Pakistan.
It is said that late K.H. Khurshid was very kind to Gilgit Baltistan. The other Kashmiri leaders were never allowed to visit Gilgit Baltistan without the consent of Pakistan, though they did make some statements.

Now Pakistan government has banned the visit of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) political leaders to Gilgit Baltistan in view of the fear of political awareness among the people. In 1994, Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, Chairman UKPNP paid a detailed visit to Balawaristan (Gilgit Baltistan). During his visit, while addressing the gatherings at Gilgit Baltistan, he condemned Pakistan of it's role to deprive the region of it's basic rights and also apprised the international community of the human rights violation and socio-economic rights of the people snatched by Pakistan. He was abducted twice by ISI and subjected to physical torture and described as a RAW agent. Afzal Tahir, Chairman Kashmir International Front and a politician of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) not only apprised the world community of the Human Rights but also raised the Human Rights issue of occupied Balawaristan in Geneva.

It was only because of his sincere efforts that CLAIRE GALEZ, an internationally renowned Human Rights activist personally visited this region and revealed to the world of the real situation of Balawaristan. After her visit, ISI got irritated and issued notices to every official for allowing her. Angelik Pathak, an activist of Amnesty International for South-Asia Affairs was persuaded to visit and review the situation of Balawaristan. She was also apprised of the facts. Apart from this, Afzal Tahir was the first person who arranged a conference in London on Sept. 17,1994 on Gilgit Baltistan and invited the then BNF chairman Nawaz Khan Naji, Maj. (Retired) Hussain Shah, Adv. Ahsan Ali, Qari Abdul Rashid and me (Abdul Hamid Khan). Pakistan was very much upset over this conference which had to be held at an international level, therefore the British Embassy in Islamabad, was asked to refuse visas. Leaders from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Indian Kashmir, excluding us, were issued visas to attend the conference on Gilgit Baltistan.

This act of the UK government can be compared with a marriage party where all were welcomed, except bridegroom. Despite all this, we had dispatched our material in time for the conference in London. Later on besides my article, Maj. Hussain Shah and Adv. Ahsan Ali have appeared in the London based English magazine United Kashmir. In Aug. 1996, besides Amir Hamza and Maj.(Retd) Hussain Shah, I was also invited to attend the Annual Session of the UN Sub - Commission for Human Rights Geneva. But the Swiss Embassy in Islamabad refused to issue visas on the instigation of Pakistan government and ISI. On August 24th,1996 we organised a press conference and protested against the behaviour of the Swiss Embassy, Islamabad.

On Aug. 14,1997 we were arrested when we were observing "Black Jubilee", instead of Pakistan's Golden Jubilee. We were charged with treason and subjected to physical torture. Shaukat Ali Kashmiri strongly protested against it, while Afzal Tahir went on a hunger strike in London and apprised the world of these atrocities. Amanullah Khan is the alone person from occupied Balawaristan, Chairman of JKLF (Aman Group) who instead of condemning Pakistan for the arrest of peaceful political activists, criticised us to appease his masters and ISI but due to the strong public reaction, he distorted the statements later on verbally. Amanullah Khan is the person who has never uttered even a single word against the Pakistani occupation and atrocities being committed on the people of occupied Gilgit Baltistan. His close associates and JKLF activists say that he has reached an agreement with ISI that he would say nothing about Balawaristan and in exchange he would be given all possible financial assistance.

Apart from this, whenever leaders of Indian held Kashmir talk of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) 4000 sq.mile area, but they do not speak about Gilgit Baltistan (the area of 28,000 sq. miles). It is clear that leaders from both sides of Kashmir have forgotten the area of Balawaristan as they never invited any representative from this area during any of their programme at international level including OIC.

Syed Ali Geelani, Chairman All Parties Hurryat Conference (APHC) has supported the Pakistani wickedness and vandalism through his pamphlet about Kargil. He writes "that only so-called Mujahideen fought at Kargil front" whereas they had no role to play. Mujahideen never get compensation from outsiders and foreigners. We would like to give the title of Mujahideen and freedom fighters to all those youths who are committed to getting this region liberated from the clutches of Pakistan, without getting any compensation from ISI. Those who are getting money from ISI and Pakistan and indulging in anti-human activities, cannot be described as Mujahideen (according islamic ideology). The valiant people of Balawaristan would also not cooperate with such elements.

The mercenaries today on the instructions of their masters, the ISI, are forcibly ousting the non-Muslims residing in Jammu and Kashmir there, since thousands of years. Their lives and properties are being destroyed. What is the guarantee, that a fanatic organisation like ISI, created by late Gen.Zia, after completion of its mission against non-Muslim in Jammu & Kashmir would give the same treatment to other minority communities of the Muslim. BNF, other nationalist organisations and valiant youths of the region would cooperate with such groups or political parties, which are loyal and sympathetic to their motherland Balawaristan and have no links with ISI and anti-Balawaristan elements.