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Showing posts with label Hajeera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hajeera. Show all posts

Wednesday, 24 December 2025

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 358 of 2025

0315hrs:

Countdown to end of 2025: 8 days

So, the code has finally been cracked! Not only did I wake up at 0256hrs, I woke at intervals after 0041hrs in the fear that I had passed the watershed of 0300hrs. 

Nevertheless, this now needs to become a permanent feature of my daily routine, as aspired to at the beginning of this calendar year, 358 days ago.

....

The following note in English and then followed in Urdu has been written by Dr Akhlaq Barlas of Ser Kakuta in tehsil Hajeera district Poonch, yet he lives in exile in the USA, having spent a good portion of his life in communist Russia (Soviet Union) too. In between he also served in the Department of Health in AJK. A man with rich experiences, some very bitter too which we will delve into - for the record - on some convenient date in the future.

Painful Questions That Demand Honest Answers

Do we know when British imperialism prepared the framework to govern United India?

Do we know who created that framework?

Do we know when the British established the judiciary and administrative system to control the people of India?

Do we know who continues to defend this British colonial system in Pakistan today?

And most importantly—whose interests does this colonial system still serve?

These questions are painful, but they are eye-opening.

Do we honestly believe that a rotted, oppressive, colonial system can ever bring prosperity to any country? 
I do not.

Historical Reality

India and Pakistan were created by British imperialism, with the cooperation of the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress, to serve the interests of international imperialist forces and the exploiting classes of the subcontinent.

However, there was a fundamental difference:

Indian National Congress leaders were largely nationalist and progressive.

Under Jawaharlal Nehru, India introduced major reforms in the army, civil services and governance, ensuring civilian supremacy over the military.

The Muslim League, on the other hand, remained pro-British, dominated by landlords and anti-democratic forces.

From the very beginning, Pakistani military officers—supported by international masters—subdued civilian governments and this continues to this day.

A Hard Truth

Pakistan was not created for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

It was created to serve strategic interests—particularly to defend the subcontinent from invasions from Central Asia and Afghanistan.

The British handed Pakistan a colonial administrative, judicial and military framework, which has consistently imposed misery, injustice and suffering on the people.

The Present Crisis

Under these circumstances, can anyone honestly believe that the same Pakistani bureaucratic system imposed on Pakistan-administered Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan will bring prosperity?

Those who believe so are living in a fool’s paradise.

Do elections under this rotted system change people’s lives?
I do not think so.

The same facilitators return to power—with the help of the federal government and secret agencies.

What Must Be Done

Real change will not come from fraudulent politicians, political parties, or the military establishment. It must come from the people.

A Roadmap for Change:

Create awareness among the people of Pakistan-administered JK and GB; unite them under a joint united front using platforms like the Awami Action Committee.

Educate the masses that elections under a colonial system are not the solution.

Prepare independent constitutions for both territories under Pakistan’s control.

Request the United Nations to assist in constitution-making, as UN observers are still present in the territory.

Reform the judiciary and administrative systems to meet modern societal needs.

Establish reform committees for education, health, agriculture, natural resources, climate, tourism and poverty alleviation.

End deputation of Pakistani officers in all departments and ministries.

Declare JK and GB free zones for foreign investment under local control.

Restore State Subject Rules in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Without dismantling the colonial system, there can be no justice, dignity, or prosperity.
The time for awareness, unity, and constitutional struggle is now.

..
تکلیف دہ سوالات جو ایماندارانہ جوابات مانگتے ہیں

کیا ہم جانتے ہیں کہ برطانوی سامراج نے متحدہ ہندوستان کے عوام پر حکومت کرنے کا فریم ورک کب تیار کیا؟

کیا ہم جانتے ہیں کہ اس فریم ورک کا خالق کون تھا؟

کیا ہم جانتے ہیں کہ برطانوی سامراج نے ہندوستان کے عوام کو کنٹرول کرنے کے لیے عدالتی اور انتظامی نظام کب قائم کیا؟

کیا ہم جانتے ہیں کہ آج پاکستان میں اس برطانوی نوآبادیاتی نظام کا دفاع کون کر رہا ہے؟

اور سب سے اہم سوال—یہ نوآبادیاتی نظام آج بھی کن کے مفادات کی حفاظت کر رہا ہے؟

یہ سوالات تکلیف دہ ضرور ہیں، مگر آنکھیں کھول دینے والے ہیں۔

کیا ہم واقعی یہ سمجھتے ہیں کہ ایک سڑا ہوا، ظالمانہ اور نوآبادیاتی نظام کسی بھی ملک میں خوشحالی لا سکتا ہے؟

میں ایسا نہیں سمجھتا۔

تاریخی حقیقت

ہندوستان اور پاکستان برطانوی سامراج نے مسلم لیگ اور انڈین نیشنل کانگریس کی مدد سے اس لیے تخلیق کیے کہ بین الاقوامی سامراجی طاقتوں اور استحصالی طبقات کے مفادات کی خدمت کی جا سکے۔ 

:تاہم ایک بنیادی فرق تھا

انڈین نیشنل کانگریس کے رہنما بڑی حد تک قوم پرست اور ترقی پسند تھے۔

جواہر لعل نہرو کے دور میں بھارت نے فوج، سول سروس اور نظامِ حکومت میں بنیادی اصلاحات کیں اور فوج پر سول بالادستی کو مضبوط بنایا۔ 

اس کے برعکس مسلم لیگ واضح طور پر برطانوی سامراج نواز تھی، جس پر جاگیرداروں اور غیر جمہوری قوتوں کا غلبہ تھا۔

ایک کڑوا سچ

ابتدا ہی سے بین الاقوامی آقاؤں کی مدد سے پاکستانی فوجی افسران نے سویلین حکومتوں کو دبایا، اور یہ عمل آج تک جاری ہے۔

پاکستان مسلمانوں کے لیے نہیں بنایا گیا تھا۔

یہ دراصل اس لیے بنایا گیا کہ برصغیر کو وسطی ایشیا اور افغانستان کی سمت سے آنے والے حملوں سے محفوظ رکھا جا سکے۔ 

برطانوی سامراج نے پاکستان کو نوآبادیاتی انتظامی، عدالتی اور فوجی قوانین دیے، جنہوں نے مسلسل عوام پر مصیبتیں، ناانصافیاں اور اذیتیں مسلط کیں۔ 

موجودہ بحران 

ایسے حالات میں کیا کوئی یہ سمجھتا ہے کہ پاکستانی بیوروکریسی کا وہی نظام، جو پاکستان کے زیرِ انتظام جموں و کشمیر اور گلگت بلتستان پر مسلط ہے، وہاں خوشحالی لا سکتا ہے؟

جو لوگ ایسا سوچتے ہیں وہ احمقوں کی جنت میں رہ رہے ہیں۔

 کیا اس سڑے ہوئے نظام کے تحت ہونے والے انتخابات عوام کی زندگی میں کوئی تبدیلی لا سکتے ہیں؟

میں ایسا نہیں سمجھتا۔

وہی سہولت کار دوبارہ اسمبلیوں میں آ جاتے ہیں وفاقی حکومت اور خفیہ اداروں کی مدد سے۔

اب کیا کرنا ہوگا؟

حقیقی تبدیلی دھوکے باز سیاست دانوں، سیاسی جماعتوں یا فوجی اسٹیبلشمنٹ سے نہیں آئے گی۔یہ تبدیلی صرف اور صرف عوامی قوت سے آئے گی۔

عملی لائحۂ عمل

پاکستان کے زیرِ انتظام جموں و کشمیر اور گلگت بلتستان کے عوام میں آگاہی پیدا کی جائے، انہیں متحد کیا جائے اور عوامی ایکشن کمیٹی جیسے پلیٹ فارم کے ذریعے مشترکہ متحدہ محاذ قائم کیا جائے۔

عوام کو یہ تعلیم دی جائے کہ نوآبادیاتی نظام کے تحت انتخابات ان کے مسائل کا حل نہیں۔

پاکستان کے زیرِ کنٹرول دونوں خطوں کے لیے علیحدہ آئین تیار کیے جائیں۔ اقوامِ متحدہ سے درخواست کی جائے کہ وہ آئین سازی کے عمل میں مدد کرے، کیونکہ اقوامِ متحدہ کے مبصرین آج بھی ان علاقوں میں موجود ہیں۔

موجودہ عدالتی اور انتظامی نظام میں بنیادی اصلاحات کی جائیں تاکہ وہ جدید معاشرتی تقاضوں سے ہم آہنگ ہو سکیں۔

تعلیم، صحت، زراعت، قدرتی وسائل، موسمیاتی تبدیلی، سیاحت اور غربت کے خاتمے کے لیے اصلاحاتی کمیٹیاں قائم کی جائیں۔تمام محکموں اور وزارتوں کو پاکستان سے ڈیپوٹیشن پر آنے والے افسران سے آزاد کیا جائے۔

 جموں و کشمیر اور گلگت بلتستان کو غیر ملکی سرمایہ کاروں کے لیے آزاد زون قرار دیا جائے، مگر مقامی کنٹرول کے تحت۔

گلگت بلتستان میں اسٹیٹ سبجیکٹ رول بحال کیا جائے۔

نوآبادیاتی نظام کے خاتمے کے بغیر نہ انصاف ممکن ہے، نہ وقار، نہ خوشحالی۔

آگاہی، اتحاد اور آئینی جدوجہد کا وقت اب آ چکا ہے۔ 

۔۔۔۔

....

Public Finance Update:

Number of co-citizens who have paid their share (over 20 years): 
16
Number of co-citizens who have paid a portion to date, since direct public funding began in 2012:
192
Number of co-citizens who have promised to pay:
83
Number of co-citizens I have directly contacted since arriving in Dadyaal (of total 5,000):
517

Cash in Hand: 50,860
Cash Deposits: 2,40,800
Immediate Debts: 0

Public funds received so far in Dadyaal (76 days - up to midnight 23/12/2025):

3K (Day 6)
5K (Day 15) 
5K (Day 17) 
0.2K (Day 20) 
1K (Day 21) 
1K (Day 22) 
0.3K (Day 24) 
3K (Day 25)
1K (Day 26) 
4K (Day 33) 
5K (Day 38) 
1K (Day 42)
2K (Day 44)
1K (Day 45)
4K (Day 46)
3.9K (Day 47)
30.2K (Day 49)
15K (Day 51)
20K (Day 53)
1K (Day 54)
1L 39.9K (Day 56)
3.9K (Day 59)
5K (Day 66)
3L 52.6K (Day 69)
6.5K (Day 72)

Total received so far: 6,14,500  

K = 1,000 (One thousand)
L = 1,00,000 (One hundred thousand)

....  

Tuesday, 27 June 2023

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 178 of 2023

2347hrs:

....All the way....

....

Another needless set of tragedies on the LOC, this time in Poonch Sector:


I shall copy the text written within the video description here:

#LOC #CivilianKillings #Poonch 

Muhammad Qasim 61 year old son of Muhammad Deen and Muhammad Ubaid 22 year old son of Abdul Qayoom (both of Tithrinote) lost their lives to Indian sniper fire despite being well inside the Pakistani controlled zone of the LOC, resting under the shade of a tree while their livestock grazed the pastures.

This was the same tree that the Pakistani army used as a shade in the past, as recently as the day before this event.

Both Qasim & Ubaid had spent their lives in agriculture and looking after their livestock. While these two succumbed to Indian sniper fire, a third local Abdul Majeed (alias Bhutto) - 35 years of age - was injured and managed to drag himself to a Pakistani post where he was given a pain killer but detained for a few hours while the Pakistani army refused to tend to the other two civilians shot. In fact, they prevented others from going to retrieve them.
  
This land on which the 3 fellow villagers were sitting is locally known as the land of Professor Saidullah. According to Ubaid's father Qasim the LOC was more than 500 yards away from this location, while the nearest Indian army post was a further 100 yards away, from where these sniper shots were fired.

By around 2pm (over a couple of hours later) local villagers could not wait any longer for the Pakistani army to give them permission to retrieve the 2 fellow villagers lying injured or dead under the shade of the tree. The local villagers tore off their vests to use them as white flags to reach them. The 61 year old Qasim was already dead while the relatively younger 22 year old Ubaid was still breathing.

Local ambulances in the vicinity refused to come to their aid. Eventually, a local Mazda truck was used to take Ubaid to a local dispensary while the other villager Qasim's dead body was taken to his home. The local dispensary had nothing to treat Ubaid with and he was then rushed to Hajeera (tehsil headquarter - THQ) hospital, over 10 kilometres away.

At the THQ, there was little that the hospital staff could do either to prevent Ubaid's death.  

In the subsequent days, nobody from the Pakistani army came to condole the dead. However some people from the Rawalakot administration did come to enquire of what happened.

The overall scenario of the LOC in this region of Poonch - in particular - suggests that locals are being driven away from lands where their livestock grazes and where they would previously sow crops for livelihood, in preparation for what appears to be a back-door agreement between India and Pakistan to define the LOC as an international border, without the local people's reference.

....

Tuesday, 18 April 2023

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 108 of 2023

1707hrs:

No more slips ups in 2023 hopefully.

....

We considered it newsworthy to present the following 'development' at the UN headquarters in New York, courtesy one of the more experienced members of our AJK diaspora, now living in political exile in the USA:


Dear friends, 

I have very recently had the opportunity to attend the 56th session of the United Nation's Commission on Population and Development (CPD56), at their headquarters in New York between the 10th to the 14th of April (2023).


This session was attended by many nation States (members of the UN), civil society organisations and NGOs. Each government and organisation in attendance presented their respective policies on the domain in which they operate.  

Each country and organisation had been allotted a desk with their nameplate to identify them. I found it astonishing that the Pakistani desk was totally absent throughout the session. Hailing from a Pakistani-controlled territory - namely AJK - I had been keen to find out who was representing Pakistan.


Everyone was seated in alphabetical order and thus after O, I began searching for Pakistan amongst the P's. Alas, despite searching thrice I couldn't find the name of Pakistan anywhere.

Most member States of the United Nations were present and representing their countries' policies regarding population, education and sustainable development. Cuba, India, Serbia, China, Russia, Germany, Egypt and many other countries narrated robust policies on health, education, gender equality, technical education and capacity building of youth amongst other subjects.

One country who's absence was conspicuous was Pakistan.
  
I then tried to find out why the Pakistani desk was absent in this annual session of the UN Commission on Population and Development. I learned or was rather reminded of the bitter reality that throughout the UN and its affiliated organisations, it is usually former Pakistani army officers or retired diplomats that are hired to represent Pakistan.

In such an apathetic scenario dear friends, what can be expected from these old lethargic self-centric beings?


Narrated by Dr Akhlaq Barlas of Ser Kakuta, tehsil Hajeera, district Poonch AJK and now living in political exile in the USA after the Pakistani army extrajudicially hanged his son, by falsely implicating the latter in an assassination attempt on the then president (military dictator Parvez Musharraf) in 2003.

..one can also read his thoughts in Urdu via the image below:
....

Thursday, 25 August 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 237 of 2022

1406hrs:

Day 81 at Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Square - Dadyaal.

0820hrs

My punctuality deficit has increased to 234 minutes.

Punctuality percentage: 43 days late of 81 = 53% late

Damn! Another late day today.

....

Finally, it appears Asmaad Aslam of Tithrinote on the LOC in Hajeera will be home soon:

I felt it necessary to input the following comment at the petition website cited above:

I think this is a major achievement on the part of Indian civil society. Congratulations.

At this stage we will forego the description of him as a Pakistani, which he legally and constitutionally isn't. Nevertheless, pursuing his release tirelessly is a significant gesture of goodwill, on the part of Rahul Kapoor in particular.

.... 

Today was also 'Meeting the AC' day. Regular followers of this weblog will know that we like to keep our local administration and municipality engaged with all developments at Maqbool Bhat Martyr's Square. The following letter explains to the Assistant Commissioner (AC) that even at this late stage of the gardening season we would still like the administration and municipality to play a part in financing the beautification of the Square. They are always welcome to aid us in cleaning and gardening too.

Here's the latest written communication: 



Note that the last time we communicated was on August the 3rd. That was the 4th time since we began communicating on the 15th of June. Hence, the above is communication exhibit number 5.

However, the AC 'explained' that the municipality doesn't have any money and that we are welcome to do whatever is necessary to beautify the Square. We have promptly forwarded his written remarks to the municipality.

In the meantime, the president of the trader's association in Dadyaal, namely Anwar Daar has assured us that he will obtain a written MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) from the AC. Meanwhile, he suggests that we continue public funding to pay for the metal grills that we need to fortify the Square from animals.

....

Thursday, 4 August 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 216 of 2022

1938hrs:

Day 60 at Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Square - Dadyaal.

0840hrs

My punctuality deficit has increased to 507 minutes.

After a few days of progress I have slipped once again.

....

A backfooted 'rationalising' attitude displayed by - Pakistan's Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan - or just another example of Pakistani legerdemain in Muzaffarabad?


We are certain that Qamar Zaman Kaira is working hard to downplay Pakistan's annexation attempt.

He describes the problem as an administrative one in terms of there being no clear link between AJK and the federation of Pakistan, in terms of administering the appropriate share of Pakistan's federal finance to AJK, as it isn't a province or a constitutional part of Pakistan. Further that the Pakistani prime minister as chairman of the (now advisory post 13th amendment) Kashmir Council is not a sufficient enough bridge. 

Kaira is categorically saying that there is no intention to take back financial powers from the AJK government via the Kashmir Council (obtained via 13th amendment).

He is also categorically saying that there is no attempt to provincialise (or federalise) AJK.

Qamar Zaman Kaira describes the proposed (15th) amendment as a list of suggestions which required feedback from the AJK government, that it is open to revision and is of course subject to acceptance by the AJK Assembly.  

He ends (this particular video clip) with an attempt to butter the audience by using the terminology 'special status' for AJK.

What we are saying is:

You need to de-link from us all together as siding with you (or any other country) is an automatic liability for the most sought after territory in the world. We can only prosper if we are independent. We cannot be independent unless we are neutral towards every other country on earth. The world will only believe us if we can provide a powerful enough ethical argument as to why this is a more meaningful alternative to regional occupation (China, India and Pakistan) and superpower contests between (China and USA).  

Possessing world class water management technology and delivering religious harmony are 2 clues to this ethical argument.

As a footnote, we also understand that all other political parties in the AJK Legislative Assembly boycotted Qamar Zaman Kaira's visit to Muzaffarabad, except his own party, namely PPP (Pakistan People's Party).

....

Hajeera has on average - at least over the past few years - been the most active tehsil (subdivision) in AJK. In this video, the tehsil's women can also be seen leading the public rights rally:
  

....

Kotli has also registered itself on the anti-15th amendment radar:


....

Students in Muzaffarabad have also convened to chalk out their role in the current heated atmosphere:


....

In many senses, Haveli is our remotest district in AJK, not least because it juts out eastwards on the map leaving it surrounded on 3 sides by the Indian army. Despite its geographic peculiarity it hasn't been immune to the sentiment throughout the rest of AJK:
 

....

Sunday, 8 May 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 128 of 2022

0825hrs:

Break day 14 of district (Kotli) wide tour

Venturing out to another district again, albeit momentarily.

Consumed wholeheartedly in a society still in 'survival' mode. 



Saturday, 23 April 2022

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 113 of 2022

2031hrs:

Day 23 - District (Kotli) wide tour as part of Internal Political Process - AJK

Updated stats of completed interviews of tribal politicians/political workers: 50 of 60

....

We are still where we were yesterday, as I had to hop into an adjacent district today, where I spent most of the day.

....

Monday, 13 December 2021

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 347 of 2021

0915hrs:

So, a change of routine and the circumstances require it to be. Our next task in the long queue ahead is filing a report on 14 year old Asmaad Aslam of Tithrinote, who wandered off in the evening of the 25th of November towards the Indian controlled side and was soon picked up by the Indian army patrolling nearby. As you can see from this following video; I just fortuitously happened to visit the area around his home 9 days earlier and made this video to document my experience, as I am prone to do wherever I go:
  

 

Asmaad Aslam has already had a turbulent childhood and has been living with his maternal grandparents here in Tithrinote - literally on the LOC - since early childhood. He's a student of the 9th grade and for whatever inquisitive or adventurous reason crossed over into the Indian controlled territory of Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas (JKA). 

A video of him being escorted to Poonch police station (on the other side - remember that there is a Poonch police station in Rawalakot on this - the Pakistani controlled side too) is presented here. Asmaad wondered across on the 25th of November and was soon picked up by the Indian army and this video was published 3 days later on the 28th by Gulistan News Channel:



I've left the following comment on the above channel's website:

"So, Asmaad Aslam (not Usman and to clarify his name on his official B form is Abdul Samad and Asmaad is a derivation of that) wandered across. He's an innocent child and his family is getting increasingly worried about him. I've compiled a report on this incident and would now request the Indian controlled authorities to kindly return him to his family via the Tithrinote crossing point." 

Note 1: Aslam is Asmaad's maternal grandfather's name who brought him up. Banaras is the name of his father and Akhter has also been used as his surname. Thus, in other reports or footage the names Asmaad Aslam, Asmaad Banaras and Asmaad Akhter may have been used.

Note 2: Chakkan da Bagh is the name given to the area across the LOC while on this side is Tithrinote (much like Pakistanis use the name Wagha while the Indians use Attari for their border in the Punjab).

Now, the incident was first reported by JKTV within hours of Asmaad disappearing across the Line of Control and according to its report, Indian media had confirmed that he was in the custody of Indian security forces:


14 year old Asmaad Aslam has now been in Indian armed forces custody for 18 days and all attempts by Asmaad's family to retrieve their child - via the local administration on this side - have effectively fallen on deaf ears. Furthermore, the Pakistani armed forces and their clandestine agencies have 'ordered' the family to remain silent. They have been expressly told to not publicly protest Asmaad's capture and detention across the LOC. To not engage the media or anybody else in this matter. Whoever visits their home is monitored by Pakistan's clandestine agencies and when the visitors leave, the agencies - as per habit and routine - pounce on the family to 'enquire' as to what was discussed. 

The family is in a state of both paralysis and fear, on top of the distress that is mounting with each passing day. 

As routine and in principal on my part, whenever local civil society anywhere in AJK reports such incidents to me, it is always followed by a request to engage in resolving such matters.

Thus, having compiled this preliminary report, it is now for me to engage contacts across the divide and also engage the local administration here, while keeping the family abreast of all developments. 

Cross LOC civil society intervention is also a viable avenue to pursue but if this 'cut and dry' issue can be resolved through communication with the local administration on the other side, that would ease the distress on Asmaad Aslam's family and him too.

Local civil society in the region on this side is also getting increasingly agitated and is keen on beginning a series of protests for Asmaad's safe return.  

Yesterday evening, after much cajoling and explanation of the importance of speaking in public, the maternal grandmother and maternal uncle of Asmaad agreed to take part in the following interview this evening:


Meanwhile, I have been in touch with some instrumental people across the LOC and have shared this report with them. I am hopeful and confident that this matter will be resolved very soon.

Update 14/12/2021:

Children of the area including Asmaad's classmates have protested in Tithrinote today. Here is some footage:



Read as (Roman Urdu):

Zulm ke zaabtey Tuliba nahi maantey
Hum taalib ilmo ka mutaaliba hay ke:
Aala hukaam aur insaani huqooq ki tanzeemey naujawan ki 
baahifaazat waapsi ke liye apna kirdaar ada karey
Waapas karo...Waapas karo.......Asmaad Banaras ko waapas karo

(English translation):
Students do not accept the code of oppression
We students demand that:
Higher authorities and human rights organisations should 
play their role for the safe return of (this) youth
Return him....Return him......Return Asmaad Banaras




Read as (Roman Urdu):

Ehtejaj Ehtejaj Ehtejaj
Hamaarey Taalibilm saathi
Asmaad Banaras ko jald az jald
Waapas kiya jaye
Jo ghalti se khooni lakeer paar kar gaya
Minjaanib: Tulba tanzeem Tithrinote

Protest Protest Protest
Asmaad Banaras should be returned 
as soon as possible
Who has mistakenly crossed the bloody line 
Courtesy: Students' organisation Tithrinote

End of update....

Update 23/12/2021:

A larger protest for Asmaad Aslam's return took place today at Tithrinote:


End of update...

Update 26/12/2021:

Students in nearby Abbaspur have also come out to protest Asmaad Aslam's prolonged detention in Poonch city:


End of update...

Update 27/01/2022:

There are important points to draw from this following video which shows a strong turnout of civil society; conducting a symbolic 8 kilometre walk from Ser Kakuta to the gates of the LOC at Tithrinote. We think both India and Pakistan are taking liberties in the handling of this matter:


End of Update....

Update 02/02/2022:

Wahid Kashar gives us an update of his efforts in conjunction with others to secure Asmaad's release:


Wahid has engaged/corresponded on this issue with:
1) Amnesty International - London
2) International Human Rights Council - Geneva
3) Jammu Kashmir Council for Human Rights - London
4) Deputy Commissioner - Poonch (Indian-controlled J & K)
5) Senior Superintendent Police - Poonch (Indian-controlled J & K) 

He describes that discussions are ongoing with all the above and a breakthrough is imminent. Wahid also intends to submit a letter to the Indian High Commission in London too, seeking Asmaad's release.

End of Update.....

Update 08/02/2022:


End of Update...

Update 16/03/2022:

  
...... 

Some notes for our children, as prompted by this reminder of a photo from 10 years ago. The children in this photo would of course be 10 years older too:


For the reader's convenience, I'll post the text that I wrote here too:

Our children may have little idea of the world they are growing up in. 

As the most fiercely contested territory in the world, how do we peacefully, ethically, legally and democratically engage with the world? 

What is the price of our distinct identity? 

Do we understand how bias towards any other country, power or ideology will erode that identity and prolong the intensity of this contest?

Do we think for others or do we think for our self?

Is self part of national identity or is national identity part of self?

..........

Daily Diary (DD) - Day 259 of 2026

0515hrs: Day 104 already and this 5 day gap has been amongst the longest in daily blogging since this war began on the 5th of June 2026. It ...