Daily Diary (DD) - Day 46 of 2019

2244hrs:

The Pulwama Attack in the Valley of Kashmir yesterday dominated discussion on AJK social media. Divergent views are emerging and they are difficult to debate so close to the event.

Courtesy: BBC 

In the larger picture, this is peace versus war and war is winning at the moment.

Whenever India, Pakistan or both - up the ante - in this conflict, it infuriates me inside for a number of reasons. Not least because months, nay years of peaceful efforts on either side of this divided land are disrupted. I can't condone any violent act, whoever the perpetrator may be. 

India and Pakistan must both take a step back.

Neither have a peaceful solution acceptable to the citizens of the territory of Jammu & Kashmir, by way of consensus. Both countries need to abdicate from the responsibility of devising such a solution. The international community should also rephrase their suggestion from encouraging India-Pakistan talks to encouraging an internal solution. This would be the biggest leap in democracy for mankind.

Locally, we've tried to phrase this internal solution as ownership-building measures OBMs, conducted by the inheritors of the princely State of Jammu & Kashmir. That responsibility should exclusively be ours because our survival depends on it. We have a vested interest in peace.

India and Pakistan should lay out their reservations respectively for a neutral Jammu & Kashmir

Meanwhile, I'm still worried about my friend Baba Jaan. Here's a petition for his release:

Government of Pakistan: Free Baba Jan -  The longest serving political prisoner in Gilgit Baltistan. - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/ixdxo9O1mK via @Change

— Tanveer Ahmed (@sahaafi) February 15, 2019

For those of you interested, this is what I wrote as my reason for signing the petition:

"He's a prisoner of conscience who proves Pakistan's diplomacy and advocacy of freedom for the Indian-controlled Valley of Kashmir is a liability."