Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua. in her address correctly pointed out the centrality of the Kashmir dispute and its resolution for achieving “peace and stability in South Asia.” Indian excesses in occupied-Jammu and Kashmir along with its history of oppressing the people of Kashmir, and institutionalised through draconian laws such as the Public Safety act and the Armed Forces Special Forces act deserves international attention. However, the international community has largely shown apathy towards the people of Kashmir, giving India the liberty to continue depriving the Kashmiri people of their fundamental rights. Without addressing Kashmiri grievances but maintaining the illusion of democracy through elections that have been largely rejected by the people of Kashmir, India has been successful in creating the perception that all troubles created in Kashmir are due to Pakistan’s alleged role in creating unrest in the valley. And this has in no small part been buttressed by India’s image as the world’s largest democracy, along with the potential market it offers to the
world economies.
In light of this it is not difficult to ascertain the reasons behind the world’s muted response over Pakistan’s attempts to give the Kashmir issue international attention. While Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly was directed at world leaders, all it actually achieved was satiate public appetite at home for point-scoring against India while falling on deaf ears in the international community. The bitter truth is that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to highlight the Kashmir issue have not had the intended effect, and once again the Kashmiri struggle risks going unnoticed at the international level.
