A Journey in Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas (JKA)............................
from Subject to Citizen
.........autocracy to democracy
.........Dogra Raaj to Awaami Raaj
.........1947 CE to...........................
#WhiteFlags
#Neutrality
#WaterManagement #MirpurtoLondonviaCentralAsia
Fared a lot better today. Got up at 0830hrs after sleeping just after 0100hrs. I did fall back asleep at around 0900hrs till 1030hrs. Compared to the 15 hours of rest yesterday I restricted my quota today to 9 hours. Still 3 hours more than the optimum. The struggle continues.
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We must remember those who peacefully fought for us and got killed for their selfless efforts:
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We bring you a document submitted (effectively) by UKPNP chairman Shaukat Ali Kashmiri at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today:
As any regular reader of this weblog can assess, we move from logging one issue to the next - usually without much respite - and the following issue demanding our attention relates to 'Evacuee Properties' or 'Matrooka Jaidaad', as they are referred to in Urdu.
Like most problems affecting the public here, they all either originate from the needless conflict imposed on this region in 1947 or relate to governance - usually the absence of it - and both aspects are usually inter-related or even inter-dependent, when searching for sustainable solutions.
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Before we enter into specific details of the case I am focussing on; let's provide an overview of the status of the revenue department (Mehekma e Maal) in AJK, courtesy a video report by Dunya News (a prominent Pakistani media channel) on March the 1st 2018:
Let me provide a word for word translation of the video above:
Tazeem Yasin (presenting journalist)
According to jail records there are about 800 prisoners in Azad Kashmir, of which most prisoners have (allegedly) committed a crime - in relation to land disputes - and have landed behind bars in prison.
Lawyer in Muzaffarabad
Our whole judicial system relies on cases generated by the land revenue department. Of which the basic framework begins with the patwari (lowest rung of land record keeping and collecting staff) system, that has held all the public of Azad Kashmir as hostage and I think that if there are reforms conducted within the revenue department, the courts would just have 20% of cases left to resolve.
(Another) Lawyer in Muzaffarabad
Those who are in jail at the moment, those who are facing trial or serving sentences, most of them are comprised of those people who are embroiled in land disputes. Due to the revenue department, particularly due to their incorrect inputs on land record documents. There are murder cases, of which many are due to these incorrect/false inputs on land record documents.
Tazeem Yasin (presenting journalist)
According to judicial statistics too, the cause of most crimes committed is the weak and bogus system of the revenue department.
Journalist in Muzaffarabad
Disputes over land have increased so much, that prisons are being filled and there are thousands of cases which transfer from one generation to the next. The fundamental cause is that written note of the patwari, which who knows developed in which era.
Tazeem Yasin (presenting journalist)
In this modern information technology age we (are still) using a land revenue system developed in the 16th century, which has not been reformed yet. Whereas the hand of the criminal is equipped with modern tools to alter the land record.
As the revenue department's system is outdated and bogus, large financial scandals in Azad Kashmir are also emanating from this very department.
End of translation of video report......
Let's now move on to the private land of Ratan Singh (his widow Kishna Bi) and Sardar Singh (his widow Guru) of Naluchi in Muzaffarabad city, which so happens to be adjacent to the land of the 'Chatti Badshahat' (translated as 'sixth kingdom') in reference to Guru Gobind Singh, the 6th Guru of the Sikhs, after whom this Gurdwara is named.
In old(er) records the names Ratan Singh and Lakha Singh (both sons of Santoo Singh), Sardar Singh, Balwant Singh, Kishna Bi (widow of Ratan Singh), Guru (widow of Sardar Singh), Virnaam Singh, Jagat Singh, Bhagat Singh and Preetam Singh (all aforementioned four were sons of Hukam Singh) who had shared landholdings with Pakka Singh, all feature. Most, if not all of these Sikhs would have very likely had some devotional or even occupational connection with the 'sixth kingdom' of the Sikhs of Muzaffarabad:
We are in search of their descendants wherever they may be in the world, after being forced to flee in the 2 nation theory based 'operation' in 1947. Not least, so that they can help prevent the same tragedy happening to someone else, as happened to them in 1947. Everything does come full circle and humanity has a tradition of biting back.
We know that Ratan Singh and Sardar Singh had children. We also know that the Sikhs living in the area of Naluchi and Gojra - in the vicinity of the gurdwara - were one of the first areas that the tribesmen from Pakistan's then North West Frontier region and beyond attacked around the 22nd of October 1947.
This particular issue has been brought to my attention by Malik Waseem, the son of Ghulam Qadir, whose father was Ahmed Malik, whose wife was Sarwar Jan, the paternal grandmother of Malik Waseem. After Waseem's paternal grandfather Ahmed Malik died in 1952 his paternal grandmother Sarwar Jan later married Sher Khan in 1958. The following is the original certificate confirming proprietary rights ('maalkana huqooq' in local parlance) to this family (to Sarwar Jan) of the land of Ratan Singh (and his descendants) on 25/06/1986:
The above certificate of ownership cannot be obtained without the following declaration form, which clarifies details of the land in question, construction on those lands, details of members of family with proprietary rights, date of initial habitation (occupancy) and date of being allotted:
Malik Waseem's family (grandparents) had migrated to Muzaffarabad from Kupwara in 1947, which came on the Indian side of the divide. Specifically they migrated from what is now Union Council Luderwan, in tehsil (subdivision) Handwara - which was then part of district Baramulla - and is now a part of district Kupwara.
They began habitating on this land in 1949 since when they have been settled here, prior to which they had lived in a refugee camp, since they migrated in 1947. On 16/05/1968, Waseem's paternal grandmother Sarwar Jan was allotted 12 kanaal and 5 marla.
Here's the document (Allotment Chit in local parlance) confirming this:
Kanaal = a unit of area measuring 605 square yards (505.857 square metres) or 1/8th of an acre.
Marla = there are 20 marlas in 1 Kanaal
Malik Waseem's paternal grandmother had over the years forfeited a total of 9 kanaals and 3 marlas to 6 other refugee families who she felt were needy and deserving while retaining the remainder of her entitlement (3 kanaal 2 marlas) for her descendants.
The land in question (3 kanaal 2 marlas) is documented below with the land revenue department ref. 27/06/1986 (2 days after receiving the ownership certificate as shown at the beginning of this post):
Khevat = was Zamindar\'s record of rights prior to Zamindari Abolition
The fifth and final official document outlining her entitlement can be witnessed in the following image, which in local parlance is described as 'Khasra Gardaawari' as recorded before the re-distribution of land in 1997, in reference to the area in question namely 'Naluchi':
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(Update 18/01/22 at 0134hrs):
A lot happened yesterday viz. 17/01/22 and remains unresolved....
I received a call from Malik Waseem at about 1630hrs and sent out the following message when the call ended:
Our friend Malik Waseem has been evicted from his home by AJK police. His family migrated here from Kupwara in 1947. The land belongs to a Sikh family (Evacuee Property) who we have been trying to trace for the last month or so. His whole family is now conducting a sit-in protest on the road and he is threatening to commit suicide in the next hour or so if the Commissioner Muzaffarabad division does not intervene.
The following video was attached too:
The rest of the evening yesterday and up to this point have kept me engaged with Muzaffarabad, a couple of other places in AJK, the UK diaspora and their North American counterparts.
Just over an hour later....
His father has suffered from a suspected heart attack while sitting on the road after being evicted. His elderly mother, wife and 2 young children are also on the road and the police are still giving them a rough time. Meanwhile, Malik's father has been rushed to Ambor hospital:
Malik Waseem's father at Ambor hospital, Muzaffarabad:
At about 2100hrs I am informed that the commissioner suggests that there must be a written complaint in order for official action to be taken. I know Malik Waseem is in no condition to write a complaint and thus I suggest that he send me an audio clip with the necessary details to intimate to the commissioner, which I will then summarise in written form on his behalf.
Here's the letter to the Divisional Commissioner of Muzaffarabad:
Complaint ref. Land issue/eviction from evacuee property
Complainant:
Malik Waseem s/o Ghulam Qadir
ID Card number: 82203-5742876-9
Address: Mohalla Naluchi, Ward number 25, Muzaffarabad - AJK
Addressed to: Divisional Commissioner - Muzaffarabad
Copies to: Global human rights organisations & related miscellaneous
Date: 17/01/2022
Time: 1947hrs
Dear Commissioner
My family (ailing parents, wife and infant children) and I have been sitting outside on the
street since around 1500hrs (3pm) today when we were forcibly evicted from our home by
Saddar (Thana) police - earlier while only womenfolk of the house were present - and they were accompanied by tehsildar Syed Sabir Hussain Naqvi. Our property was sealed in an
opportune manner, without prior notice.
No such legal order to evict us and/or seal our property has been passed by the civil,
session, custodian, high or supreme court. We do not know who ordered this 'action'.
At around 1800hrs (6pm) while sitting with my family on the roadside and whilst trying to
fend off the police and local administration my elderly father suffered a heart attack - he
wasn't allowed access to his medicine at home either - and has since been admitted at
Ambor hospital.
On the 14th of January our stay of execution had been dismissed from civil court number
one. We appealed against this in the district judge's court and received another stay of
execution this morning. Having received this order and before I could reach home I
received a call from my parents that the police had forcibly entered our premises,
frightened my children and humiliated the womenfolk of my house.
Over the past few years, I have been writing excessively on these issues and raised them at
various public forums over the past few years but never received appropriate remedy.
Background:
Raja Tariq Khan was a judge in the Custodian court who visited England some years ago
and during that visit my adversary in this case namely, Sheikh Faisal s/o Fayaz Qureshi
(who resides in the UK) fed many people money in the (land revenue department) chain
from top to bottom, including judge Tariq.
The term 'zaid ul mayaad' (English translation means overdue) was quoted in the earlier
supreme court hearing. Our argument is that we have been living here since 1949 and fraud has been conducted to evict us. It is been allotted to someone else whilst we were still
residing here.
These lands belong to those non Muslims who were killed or driven away from this
territory.
As refugees ourselves, we were allotted this land in 1968 and had been occupying it since
1949. In 1985, we also paid 'maalkana' to the custodian for effective formal occupancy.
Since then, nobody has questioned our presence till 2019 when an application was made in
the tehsildaar's office. Patwari Ghulam Abbas Qureshi at the time misguided my father to
challenge the allotment claimed by the other party (our adversary), which didn't even have
legal status. Thus, the patwari instead of correcting our record put my father on a
deliberately misguided course, as a result of which a 'miyaadi' (effectively time limitation
clause) was enforced.
Demand:
What I am demanding is a comprehensive re-inquiry be conducted of this whole case,
which I allege widespread fraud has been committed over. A commission should be formed comprising of honest people. All the manipulation of land records in the revenue
department should be investigated. For example, the land that we have been allotted (to my paternal grandmother Sarwar Jan); if we cannot stay here then where is the land that we
have been allotted? Who has committed fraud and at what stage was it committed?
I feel that this act is simply a conspiracy to spread anarchy in this region and to spoil the
peaceful environment of AJK. This I understand. The authorities have humiliated and
disgraced us. They have forced us to conduct a sit-in protest on the roadside with nowhere
to go in this freezing cold.
My father is in hospital at the moment and if anything untoward happens to him, I did say
that I will immolate myself (burn myself to death). I have momentarily retreated from that
because the administration is saying that they will now measure the land in question. I
responded that if they do so, then we will get up from the roadside. If indeed the land
measurement exercise clarifies who is entitled to occupancy.
I also put these questions and dilemma to Muzaffarabad's social and political organisations. Furthermore, even local human rights organisations, the press and lawyer's bodies. Is
trespassing into a home of womenfolk and disgracing them an act of humanity? Is this the
standard we have set ourselves? Is duplicity in all matters the norm and are we all resigned
to that?
We remain peaceful. It should be remembered that it was this very AJK government that allotted this land to us and we do not want to fight. All we can do in reaction is sit on the road and protest. At the moment my father is critical in hospital. May Allah give him life and
health. Everything now depends on his unfolding condition and we will lay out our next
plan of action accordingly.
If anything happens to my father I will immolate myself as well as my wife and children;
either in Gilani Chowk, outside the press club or even inside the supreme court itself.
Yours sincerely
Malik Waseem
n.b.
The above letter is a translated summary derived from an audio message in Urdu and sent
to Tanveer Ahmed, an action-oriented public policy researcher working uninterrupted on
the ground in AJK since April 2005.
The audio message as well as further background details on this issue can be accessed at
I'm obviously working now beyond midnight and I do know that a range of negotiations
are taking place near Malik Waseem's 'home'. Here's an example:
As I wrap up for the day - at 0350hrs - some people may wonder why I'm stretching myself to assist Malik Waseem. Well, he has always stretched himself to assist me in matters of public interest - whenever I contacted him - since 2010. He has assisted me in all aspects of our pursuit to revive religious harmony in AJK in general and revitalise the pre-eminent centre of learning at Sharda.
He suffered and faced victimisation as a youth in his student politics days when he was with the JKNSF, facing jail and the prospect of sectarian violence. He feels that he has been targeted more intensely when he acted as one of the hosts of the Hindu (Vijay Abrol) and Sikh (Devinder Singh Behal) in Muzaffarabad, when they visited from across the LOC in 2013.
Needless to say, there are a lot of people who don't like the idea of co-existence, especially between the Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims of Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas (JKA). Anybody working on that line is automatically targeted. Most of us know what happened to Arif Shahid soon after this visit.
According to Malik Waseem, matters intensified when he assisted me in hosting a Hindu couple from Hong Kong when they visited Muzaffarabad in October 2019. The couple achieved a milestone by conducting the first Hindu puja (worship/ritual) on the banks of the river Neelam (Kishenganga) in AJK since 1947.
All told, everything has to be taken into consideration, given that we are part of the most contested territory in the world. The word 'land' takes on new dimensions here. The role of the land mafia ironically connects internal land-grabbing of 2022 with external land grabbing in 1947!
So.....just a couple of days after remembering Arif Shahid's martyrdom for his pursuit of the internal narrative, Murtaza Shibli suffers a hit and run barely days after whitewashing the Pakistani narrative on Kashmir, on a Pakistani TV channel of all places! Murtaza Shibli is a British Kashmiri journalist and security expert. He is the author of the book: '7/7' and he has worked widely in Asia, Europe and Africa as a communication practitioner. I have enjoyed his acquaintance from over 10 years ago but the last time we met was at a conference in Muzaffarabad in 2011. Incidentally, I was uncomfortable with his generous views about Pakistan then and thus was astounded to hear what he had to say a few days ago on Pakistani television. Murtaza lives between Srinagar, London and Lahore.
Here's the interview (uploaded 10th May) which inevitably created commotion within the ranks of those who are paid to protect the national project called 'Pakistan':
I'll just outline some of the main points that would have shaken the foundations of Pakistan's propaganda check list: 1) Pakistan didn't and possibly couldn't do anything in response to India's de-operationalisation of Article 370 on August the 5th 2019. 2) Pakistan has gradually uncoupled itself from the Kashmir 'Cause'. 3) Pakistan's behaviour has always been cyclical and reactionary. 4) Pakistan has repeatedly asserted the myth that it has fought many a war for the sake of Kashmir. Furthermore, that there is no empirical evidence for that assertion whatsoever. 5) Pakistan's strategy for the 1965 war with India was nothing more than hyperbole and the lack of logistics reflected that assessment. 6) Pakistan's Kargil expedition was unknown to many, even in the armed forces itself and thus ulterior in its motive. No clear rationale or raison d'etre. .....By this stage, even the interviewer was visibly shocked! 7) Pakistan couldn't foresee or manage the heavy influx of Kashmir Valley migrants (for military training in 1990) and he quotes Asad Durrani's 'Spy Chronicles' in this matter.
8) Pakistan have always wanted to 'manage' the conflict and not (never) seek long term remedies or relief for the inhabitants of the Kashmir Valley. He emphasises the word 'never' in this regard.
9) Pakistan has never tolerated the Kashmiris having their own indigenous narrative and have always considered that a threat to their own narrative. Irrespective of however well meaning any such initiative may have been. It's also important to note that he's not even talking about an independent Kashmir. That's a poison yet more intolerable from a Pakistani State perspective. 10) Pakistan has always been insistent on controlling the narrative on Kashmir and thus have never failed in sabotaging alternate peace initiatives to keep the conflict brewing. Murtaza re-uses the words 'control' and 'manage'. 11) By Burhan Wani's death (in 2016) Pakistan had already washed its hands off the Kashmir cause and had already surrendered (diplomatically to India). For 2-3 days the Pakistanis had no idea what to do or even how to react. 12) All Pakistani political entities play politics with Kashmir and manage false perceptions to give an upbeat impression to their own citizenry and the people of the Kashmir Valley. 13) Pakistan has consistently messed up. Its (strategy) toolbox has always been empty. 14) Pakistan's weaknesses (as stated above) have always been cleverly concealed. For example, if post August the 5th 2019 the Valley had revolted en masse and many thousands were killed, this would have given propaganda ammunition to Pakistan to decry human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley. Murtaza takes umbrage at suggestions by some quarters in Pakistan that the Kashmiris didn't rise up and describes them as shameless in the extreme. 15) The Pakistani State has fetishized Kashmiri suffering. ....by this stage the interviewer - Aniq Naji - is clearly rattled and explains that there is an innocent and emotional attachment by normal people in Pakistan with the sufferings of the Kashmiri people. Many have given up more pressing needs (health and education) to happily contribute to the war cause. ....Aniq Naji views this as a genuine outburst and complaint from one fellow brother to another but I feel that much of the analysis delivered by Murtaza Shibli is yet to really sink in. I also have no doubt that even worldly wise media anchors such as Naji have been cushioned from such realities of war propaganda. 16) Murtaza agrees and feels that the Pakistani public's emotions have been repeatedly exploited by the Pakistani State. ......Aniq Naji now touches on a point which he should be more aware of...i.e. he uses the term 'international border' for the LOC (or what many still describe as a ceasefire line) which he feels that by Delhi's direct intervention in J & K it has effectively become. 17) Imran Khan gave a long winded and laughable speech at the UN which could have been much briefer to be potentially effective. His stance was also contradictory in that in the same breath he - Imran Khan - claimed that Pakistan could go to any length for Kashmir but he also ruled out war. 18) If war is out of the question then so should militancy be. In other words, why should Murtaza Shibli's Kashmiri brothers be used as fuel for conflict? 19) Consistent lies have been fed to the people of Kashmir and Pakistan since 1947. Hundreds of thousands have suffered as a result. 20) Pakistan should take stock and admit its failures. It has never been serious thus far. Murtaza Shibli reiterates that he has no grudge against the people of Pakistan and considers them to have always welcomed Kashmiris and made them feel secure in Pakistan. However.... In reaction to this interview, Murtaza Shibli has received a lot of unhealthy feedback from various passionate quarters of Pakistani society. It intensified to the extent that a particularly over-zealous Lahori biker conducted a motorcycle hit and run whereby Murtaza became unconscious and received some bodily injury too. Despite all that Murtaza isn't pointing any fingers. Here's a statement from him: "I was knocked over by a hit-and-run accident earlier in the day in Lahore. Apparently, I was knocked over by an unknown biker who was driving with a vicious speed. Some people are suggesting it could have been deliberate but I have no recollection of the event and was knocked unconscious. I have injured my head and one of the collar bones. The CT scans show superficial injuries but my head feels quite heavy. It is strange that I have no recollection of the incident as I fell unconscious on the road. It was someone who knew me by face who informed my family and I was taken to the nearby Jinnah Hospital. Even i have very little recollection of my time at the hospital. Now that I am back at my place it feels strange as I am quite dazed by the experience and in quite some physical pain. I think it was just an accident and should not be linked to my recent interview that some felt was quite brutal in honesty and perhaps somewhat hard-hitting
End of Murtaza Shibli's statement...... Equally apologetic and reasonable was Aniq Naji, the Pakistani host who had interviewed Shibli, for perhaps more than 1 reason:
There are others who took a dimmer (or even a more enlightened) view of the motorcycle hit and run episode in Lahore:
...... Now, let's come back down to earth a bit. The following highlights a very shameful aspect of our behaviour and we would do well to make the perpetrators accountable. If we don't, its a downward spiral:
It has been 7 years to the day when Arif Shahid was shot dead outside his home in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His crime? Effortlessly working for the reunification of Jammu Kashmir & Allied. His untiring energy created havoc for the Pakistani narrative in AJK and GB. The primary servants of that narrative were thus ordered into action. Four bullets were targeted at his neck with precision, as can be clearly seen from the following photo:
This is what he looked like in normal life:
I'll be writing a report on this martyr today, Not least because a lot of information on social media about his work and efforts have factual errors.
One of the more correct reports on his assassination was written shortly after his murder by a preeminent intellectual of Pakistan Parvez Hoodbhoy:
...... I've been meaning to write a report in reference to his sharp yet calculated murder for some years now. This is a shame on my sense of priority at times, that its taken 7 years for me to do so. Here's a video which has collated various clips from speeches of Arif Shahid throughout his life:
Arif Shahid counts among a rising number of individuals whom I've had some acquaintance with and who've been shot mercilessly by actors whose footprints many would allege lead to the Pakistani State. Two of them were Pakistani citizens: 1) Syed Saleem Shahzad:
The Journalist and the Spies - Dexter Filkins of the New Yorker on the murder of Syed Saleem Shahzad http://t.co/IiINus8
"It would not be wrong to say that the [Dar-ul-Aloom] Haqqania is the nursery of Taliban,” excerpt from the book of Maulana Sami-ul-Haqhttps://t.co/9v4e6BoCcN
The day before yesterday (Day 165, which I couldn't log an entry for - it was that shattering) climaxed in a piece of news that paralysed me mentally for the next few hours. I am yet to digest the death of Shujaat Bukhari
As described on my facebook entry that day:
I heard of his death on the balcony of another fallen dynamic hero - Arif Shahid - of peace and prosperity in Jammu & Kashmir. This connection paralysed me given that it had taken just over 12 hours for me to get from Sehnsa to Rawalakot (about 80 kilometres in total). It was a hot day to travel, my vehicle broke down 4 times in between and despite the ice cold shower at the Bawali (Water Spring) just below Hatkora - the day was nerve-racking and highly introspective. The public of AJK played a superb supporting role as usual. I rued the lack of interest and support shown by our diaspora, especially those citizens of evolved democracies. However, I know I shouldn't as they'll come good one day.
I'm writing this not far from the LOC where we aim to spend Eid and deliver aspects of hope between our intermittently aggressive neighbours.
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At last, somebody is giving attention to what I've described as the 'Jammu narrative' for years but almost ignored hitherto. Essentially, the J in J & K:
