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Pakistan was responsible for exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Valley

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The 1971 India-Pakistan war was a watershed moment in the ties between the two nations. On June 27, 1972, on the eve of his departure for then Simla for talks with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Pakistan President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in a broadcast on Radio Pakistan said: “The war we have lost was not of our making. I had warned against it but my warning fell on deaf ears of a power drunk Junta. They recklessly plunged our people into the war and involved us in an intolerable surrender which lost us half our country.”

It took seven years and a coup d’etat for the Pakistani army to reassert itself; and with its recapture of power began a policy of trying to avenge 1971, not by war, but by chipping away at India with a proxy war.

In 1983, the National Conference in Jammu & Kashmir won a second landslide in state elections. But their leader and Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, fell out with Indira Gandhi, who used her constitutional levers to dismiss his government the following year.

When Abdullah subsequently patched up with Indira Gandhi, many of his supporters disapproved of the reconciliation. Thus, when fresh elections took place in Jammu & Kashmir in 1987, a significant segment of the National Conference’s traditional voters turned against them.

The outcome, though, did not reflect this. In others words, it is widely believed the results were rigged. The parties that suffered went on to constitute the separatist All Party Hurriyat Conference.

In February 1989, Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan. People in India-controlled Kashmir were pummelled with the propaganda that if Pakistan could have defeated the Soviet Union, Indian soldiers would be no match for their Pakistani counterparts in the event of an invasion by the Pakistan army.

Thus, even pro-India Kashmiris became nervous and felt it was better to be on the right side of such a war than the wrong one. It is in this fertile atmosphere of alienation and fear that an uprising occurred in August 1989 in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

During the 1988 to 1992 presidency of George Bush Senior, the US administration placed Pakistan on a watch list of countries potentially sponsoring terrorism, without definitively designating it as a state sponsor of terrorism.

I asked a senior American diplomat posted in Islamabad what persuaded Bush to issue such a caution. He replied, the President had “credible evidence” to do so.

I probed the diplomatist further. He revealed US satellites had picked up movement of Pakistani army trucks delivering weapons close to the Line of Control with India in Kashmir. The weapons had been supplied by western countries to Pakistan for distribution to the Afghan Mujahideen. Instead, they were diverted to Kashmir.

That was the genesis of a proxy war, which included intimidating Kashmiri Pandits and effectively triggering their exodus from the Valley.

During negotiations at the Simla summit, Bhutto floated the idea of the Line of Control in Kashmir being converted into a “Line of Peace”.

General Pervez Musharraf’s formula in 2006 was broadly along similar lines. But then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government ultimately found it difficult to trust a man who was instrumental for the Kargil intrusion in 1999.

It has been the belief in the power structure in Pakistan that militancy in India-controlled Kashmir is justified. However, as the European Union has laid down, where there’s an opportunity to enter office through the ballot box – as there was up to 2019 – violence is unjustified.

The Election Commission of India has largely ensured fair elections in Jammu & Kashmir since the 1990s. In India’s northeastern states, separatist parties have fought elections and formed governments.

The Scottish National Party has achieved the same in Britain. Sinn Fein, which believes in Northern Ireland breaking away from Britain and merging with the Republic of Ireland, has been a constituent in the ruling coalition in Northern Ireland.

The legitimacy of fissiparous forces in Jammu & Kashmir can only be established by them, proving that they indeed enjoy majority support.

In the one and only opinion survey carried out on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir — by King’s College London and Chatham House in 2010 — 44 per cent of people in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir wanted independence as opposed to 43 per cent in India-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. Two per cent of people in India-controlled Jammu & Kashmir wanted to join Pakistan, compared to 1 per cent of people in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Such figures may have changed. But India and Pakistan are obliged to sort out their disputes under the Simla Agreement, which states, “The two countries are resolved to settle their differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations.”

This Agreement is registered as a Treaty with the United Nations under Article 102 of the UN Charter. Therefore, it is binding on both nations.

National News

Shia Maulana Imran Raza Ansari was supported by Shia Maulana Rajani Hasan Ali Gujrati and Shia Leader Syed Liaquat Manzoor Mousavi in ​​Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

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Vadodara/Srinagar, September 28: Shia Maulana Rajani Hasan Ali Gujrati And Syed Liaquat Manzoor Mousavi from Srinagar have strongly supported Shia Maulana Imran Raza Ansari in the 2024 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In their joint statement, they said that only with the right leadership can a province develop, and its citizens can enjoy a bright future because of a clear vision for development and education and effective implementation of policies.

A person with strong leadership skills to ensure accountability, integrity and transparency can only benefit the nation. And a leader who prioritizes education can increase funding, build new schools, and provide scholarships, making education more accessible to all. By recruiting qualified teachers, introducing innovative curricula, and promoting digital learning, educational standards can be significantly raised, vocational training and skill development programs can prepare young people for the workforce, and which can reduce unemployment. And to get these benefits, it is very important to choose a leader like Maulana Imran Raza Ansari along with it. That is why we are determined to support Maulana Imran Raza Ansari, a strong leader who can attract investment, create jobs, and develop essential infrastructure like roads, hospitals and public transport. . By promoting business-friendly policies and fostering entrepreneurship, a province can improve economic growth, reduce poverty and improve quality of life. A compassionate leader can address social issues such as health care, sanitation and housing. can implement remedial programs, which are very effective in ensuring a better quality of life; Mr. Liaqat Manzoor Mousavi, a well-known personality of Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar, said that Maulana Imran Raza Ansari is an honest and compassionate politician who is always concerned about solving the problems of people of all religions.

Therefore, to ensure the victory of Maulana Imran Raza Ansari from Patan Baramulla Assembly Constituency, the youth of the nation should show political awareness and foresight so that every single vote goes to Maulana Muasoof, which ensures his victory and Maulana Sahib. will be provided an opportunity for national services and that is the reason for the happiness of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir needs a leading and visionary politician like Maulana Imran Raza Ansari Sahib after the removal of Article 370, whose problem is Jammu. And there is a need for a prominent role in solving the Kashmir problem, which is not possible without a Shia leader.

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National News

Gujarat: 27 Tamil Nadu Pilgrims Stranded On Flooded Causeway Rescued In Overnight Operation In Bhavnagar

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In an overnight operation, 29 persons, including 27 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, were rescued from a bus that was stranded on a flooded causeway in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, officials said on Friday.

The bus got stuck on the raised path on a stream near Koliyak village on Thursday evening, said District Collector RK Mehta, who was at the spot to supervise the rescue operation that went on for nearly eight hours.

“The pilgrims were headed towards Bhavnagar city after visiting Nishkalank Mahadev temple near the village. Due to heavy rains in the region, the causeway on the river was submerged. Despite that, the bus driver decided to cross the river,” said Mehta.

However, due to the force of the water, the front of the bus dipped into the river while the rear remained stuck on the causeway, he said.

During the operation, rescuers reached the site in a mini-truck and transferred all the 27 pilgrims from the bus, its driver and cleaner to the vehicle through the rear window of the bus, he said.

But there was more challenge ahead. The mini-truck carrying the 29 persons also got stranded on the causeway, said Mehta, adding that most of the pilgrims were senior citizens.

“We then sent a large truck and transferred these 29 persons on that vehicle. Around 3 am, after nearly eight hours, all of them were brought to safety. We provided them with accommodation and food in Bhavnagar. We have also conducted their medical tests,” said the collector. 

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National News

Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi To Address Rallies In Assandh & Barwala Constituencies Today

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New Delhi: Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to campaign for Haryana Assembly elections on Thursday by addressing rallies in Assandh and Barwala constituencies, where the party is expected to project unity within, as the central leadership has managed an uneasy truce among warring leaders.

Who Will Be Joining Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi’s Rally?

Kumari Selja, who has been keeping away from the campaign, will join Rahul’s rally along with her inner-party ally Randeep Surjewala and former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda, amid poll managers indicating that the factional war has been impacting the cadre and electioneering.

The temporary truce came after Selja met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday for a long meeting to hear her grievances and on Tuesday on her birthday. Selja has announced her decision to restart her campaign but has minced no words in public about her antipathy towards Hooda.

On Wednesday, she posted on ‘X’ her campaign plans for Thursday, which includes Rahul’s rally and three other public meetings in Tohana and Hisar. Rahul is expected to campaign in Haryana for another three days.

Star Campaigners’ Absence Sparks Concerns In Haryana Elections

Amid questions about the absence of star campaigners Rahul and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Haryana, a section in the party claimed that they were holding back their top guns for the final push but sources indicated that Rahul was upset with the way electioneering was managed. Incidentally, Rahul was not present at the launch of seven guarantees for Haryana on September 18 though he was in the national capital with sources saying that he was not happy with the way the manifesto is being formulated. He was of the view that there was no process and guarantees were announced prior to the formal launch by state leaders at their whims and fancies. No reason was given for his absence from the launch, which was attended by Kharge.

Rahul was also upset with the way factionalism intensified after candidate selection with Selja keeping off campaign for almost two weeks while Surjewala was restricted to a few pockets.

Before leaving for the US earlier this month, he had asked the leadership to reconvene a Central Election Committee meeting, which had completed its exercise, to address concerns of Selja and Surjewala. He was also not happy with the Hooda camp for not being accommodative.

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