Azad Kashmir at a crossroads

THE recent crisis in Kashmir has reminded me of my university days. It must have been around 1985 or perhaps a year later. Time or Newsweek carried a colored illustration showing a dagger plunged into the very heart of Chad. The dagger’s hilt was held by two hands, one French and the other Libyan, reflecting the widespread perception that both countries were using Chad as a battleground for their competing interests. A few days later, a student political organization active on Kashmir affairs published a pamphlet depicting a dagger thrust into the map of Kashmir. One hand on the hilt was shown as India’s, the other Pakistan’s. The memory of that pamphlet returned as I observed the conduct of the Joint Awami Action Committee. In Kashmir, there has rarely been any disagreement over the question of its relationship with Pakistan. Over the past eight decades, AJK has been governed by numerous political parties representing diverse and often conflicting ideologies. Yet they all shared one point of consensus: the slogan “Kashmir Banega Pakistan” (Kashmir Will Become Pakistan). The slogan was coined by the late Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, who earned the title of Mujahid-e-Awwal for his armed struggle against Dogra rule. This slogan became the foundation of politics in Azad Kashmir. At the same time, it is also true that there were people in Kashmir who held a different view, one represented by that long-forgotten pamphlet. They existed, but only in negligible numbers. Even the expression “a pinch of salt in flour” would exaggerate their presence. By the time of the 2005 earthquake, it had become evident that this segment had shrunk even further. During that devastating natural disaster, the people of Pakistan shared Kashmir’s suffering with remarkable compassion and solidarity. Addressing the people of Kashmir, Yasin Malik remarked: “Remember this: in your hour of hardship, Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with you. When the time comes to decide Kashmir’s future, do not f