In a recent statement the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) expressed it’s deep concern over the announcement by the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to revive jihadi culture in the region.
This irresponsible and dangerous statement poses a grave threat not only to local and regional peace but also to human rights, while hindering the socio-economic development of the area.
Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, the exiled Chairman of the UKPNP, has strongly condemned the statement, emphasizing that such rhetoric in a sensitive region like Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a blatant violation of international peace principles and the United Nations Charter.
He further stated that such announcements aim to exacerbate the challenges faced by the people of the region, violate their rights, and once again impose an environment of war, extremism, and fear upon them.
The Devastating Impact of Jihadi Activities
The historical context of jihadi activities clearly demonstrates that their consequences have always been catastrophic and dangerous. These activities have claimed the lives of millions of innocent people, subjected women, children, and minorities to oppression, and inflicted irreparable damage to the local economy and culture.
Sardar Nasser Aziz Khan, the party’s spokesperson, emphasised that past experiences show that such militaristic initiatives aim to crush popular movements and divert public attention from their fundamental rights.
A Conspiracy Against Local Movements
Speaking about the underlying motives, Jamil Maqsood, the Central President of UKPNP’s Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that the announcement to revive jihadi culture is, in fact, a deliberate attempt to sabotage the ongoing movements for local rights in the region. This declaration strengthens the hands of those forces that exploit militancy to suppress the aspirations and rights of the people. It is a dangerous game whose consequences will reverberate across the region.
Appeal to the International Community and Global Organisations
The UKPNP calls upon the United Nations, the European Union, and other international bodies to take serious note of this irresponsible statement by the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We demand that the global community urgently address this issue and take active steps to ensure peace and stability in the region.
The Struggle and Stance of UKPNP
The United Kashmir People’s National Party has always advocated for a peaceful, democratic, and human rights-based struggle. The party firmly believes that the path to the region’s progress, prosperity, and peace lies in granting the people their legitimate rights, eradicating extremism, and running state institutions based on democratic principles.
The UKPNP has unequivocally stated that the announcement to revive jihadi culture is not just a threat to the people of the region but a challenge to global peace as well.
UKPNP will continue to raise their collective voices against this danger in collaboration with the international community and global institutions, and will persist in their efforts to promote peace, stability, and human rights in the region.
The party’s international chapters have also strongly condemned such statements in the harshest terms.
Main Image: By Rowanattiston0099 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65068788
