Daily Diary (DD) - Day 360 of 2021

1412hrs:

A lot of commotion happening on JKA. That's Jammu Kashmir & Allied. A nomenclature I'm using to make simple sense of c. 85,000 square miles of territory, geographically situated between (six) of the largest collection of mountain ranges in the world and in the vicinity of almost half the world's population. Among other strategic factors, it is the most contested freshwater source of the world too. 

Yesterday evening a notable personality of our territory, asked me for a note on happenings over the past few days, in relation to JKNSF Azad's emphatically successful convention on the 24th and 25th of December in Kotli.

He wanted to send it to some foreign diplomats.

There's a lot of untoward happening in the United Kingdom too. We are investigating obstruction and illegal surveillance of the internal narrative in AJK there.

Here's the note:

Growing tension emerged between pro Pakistani influences and pro freedom voices over the past few days in AJK. This was in the wake of 27 year old chairman of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) Manzoor Pashteen's invitation to attend Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation's (JKNSF Azad) convention in Kotli on the 24th and 25th of December 2021.

Despite being a peaceful movement of Pashtuns seeking redressal of grave human rights violations on their people by the military organ of the Pakistani State, PTM's genuine grievances rather than being heard have led to them being proscribed and targeted for raising their voice. Such a movement's chairman being invited into AJK by a decades old students organisation in this territory - known for its 'resistance of occupation' politics - created panic in Pakistan's establishment circles.

The latter reacted by issuing a notification to ban Manzoor Pashteen's entry into AJK on the 22nd of December. They also underwent a propaganda drive to counter NSF's (short for JKNSF and used hereon) convention. A previously obscure organisation 'Tehreek e Jawanaan Kashmir' (referred to as TJK hereon) led by Irfan Ashraf of Rawalakot led this propaganda drive in favour of the Pakistani State, by announcing that they would celebrate M. A. Jinnah's birthday in Kotli on the 25th; as a show of power to drown out nationalistic influences in the territory. Meanwhile, the Pakistani State also tried to prevent the NSF convention from going ahead as announced.

What transpired on the 24th and 25th of December is that the NSF convention went ahead as scheduled in Kotli. Many other pro freedom voices and parties announced their solidarity with the NSF and condemned the Pakistani State's attempts to muzzle internal voices here once again. Even advising the NSF to defy these obstructions.

Irfan Ashraf known to work very closely with Pakistan's intelligence agencies - which almost won him a legislative seat at the recently concluded elections here - couldn't muster more than 20 people for TJK's birthday celebration of Pakistan's founder on Christmas Day. This is despite the heavy propaganda campaign leading up to this event. A day before in Kotli (on the 24th) they had tried hard to persuade the public of Kotli - by loudspeaker announcements throughout the city - to participate at this event. It is clear from photos, videos and local knowledge that hardly any local participated. Those who did were either from Rawalakot or were Pakistani citizens.

Whereas JKNSF Azad engaged a few hundred people at both their convention on the 24th and their public gathering on the 25th, as photos and videos will indicate. They were able to gain sympathy and credibility at home and abroad while those sponsored by the Pakistani State could hardly gain any traction in Kotli at all.

There was heavy police presence throughout Kotli over these couple of days, as anything was possible. The 'authorities' did jam communications through part of the day on the 25th, which prevented Manzoor Pashteen from addressing NSF's convention via electronic communication.

It has been noticed particular in the last couple of years - post August 2019 - that whatever the Pakistani State does to counter Jammu Kashmir & Allied's internal narrative - tends to backfire on them - leaving them humiliated and exposed in the eyes of local public opinion as well as among our diaspora. Countless examples can be referred to in this respect.

End of note...

Here are a couple of photos to show the contrast:

1) Pro Pakistan forces in Kotli on Christmas Day

2) Pro freedom forces in Kotli on Christmas Day

The following video gives you a dynamic contrast of the 2 events (2 narratives) occurring in such close proximity to each other and simultaneously at that:

 

Earlier in the day, JKNSF Azad's procession from Shaheed Chowk in the following video can also be compared to TJK's procession to Abshaar Chowk in the previous video:

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Meanwhile, on this very day an interview of former prime minister of AJK Raja Farooq Haider was conducted by JK News Urdu in Smaahni:

Here are some salient points that he mentioned during his interview:

AJK is not recognised anywhere in the world and Pakistan has never taken this point seriously. The latter is adamant on representing us.

There is a concerted effort to dilute the 'Kashmir Issue' and permanently divide the territory of Jammu & Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Pakistan's attempts to merge Gilgit Baltistan into its federation is a step in that direction.

The recently concluded 'Russell Tribunal' in Sarajevo (Bosnia) has nothing to do with the Pakistani government. It was something instigated by our diaspora. Pakistan's role is effectively non-existent.

Demographic change is taking place on both sides of the Line of Control and Pakistan was first in conducting such measures (in GB).

Raja Farooq Haider reiterates the point that until the people of this territory are not given the opportunity to represent themselves, Kashmir will continue to be perceived as a land dispute between India and Pakistan. In such a scenario, the world will always give precedence to the rising economy of India rather than the sinking economy of Pakistan. Thus, we have no face value, he contends.

The State of Jammu & Kashmir is a multi religious society, not a fundamentalist Muslim entity.

His concluding message to all citizens (young and old) of Jammu Kashmir (& Allied) as it stood on the 14th of August 1947 is to do whatever is possible to save this State, if you want to continue your existence.

He recognised that our plight is because we are surrounded by large nuclear powers and that we need to instigate democratic institutions throughout the developed world. He also recognised that there is barely any democracy in the Muslim World. Raja Farooq Haider considered social media to be a powerful tool and urged our people - local and in the diaspora - to persistently highlight our plight.

End....

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