The renowned German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
History bears witness that human thoughts and behaviours evolve over time. There was a time when loudspeakers were considered “the devil’s voice.” Those who invented them no longer use them and have adopted more modern tools. Yet those who once condemned loudspeakers as evil not only refuse to abandon them but have now embraced them extensively.
Photography was once deemed sinful, and recording videos was considered prohibited. Today, press conferences don’t begin without dozens of cameramen present. Satisfaction is only achieved when headlines in newspapers feature accompanying photos.
Air travel was once deemed “anti-religious,” and trains were considered signs of the apocalypse because “iron was moving on iron.” But today, those same critics cannot imagine life without these conveniences.
Media, once dismissed as a Western conspiracy, is now essential for every event. Airplanes, once controversial, have become the fastest and most preferred means of travel. Riding camels and horses, once common, is now seen as impractical because it cannot fulfill the demands of modern life especially when a journey involves crossing oceans or reaching destinations like the moon or Mars.
In Azad Kashmir, nearly 99% of the population is Muslim. Until the 1980s, the majority followed Sufi Islam, practicing their faith quietly without imposing their beliefs on others.
However, after the Afghan Jihad project was concluded, attention shifted to the Kashmir Jihad project.
Various factions and militant organisations started pouring into Azad Kashmir, initiating fundraising campaigns and flaunting weapons in towns and cities.
Slogans of “Al Jihad, Al Jihad” echoed, and youth were sold dreams of liberating Srinagar. It is estimated that since 1988, over 150,000 people have lost their lives.
Followers of Sufi Islam were labeled terrorists, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reduced to a union territory. During General Pervez Musharraf’s tenure, those once called “Mujahideen” were suddenly branded as terrorists and banned after 9/11. Musharraf himself admitted in interviews that these were “our assets,” trained by us, but now they are terrorists.
These banned organisations reemerged under new names, led by the same individuals. Fundraising and militant activities, which were once open, became more systematic and organised. These groups extended their influence to rural areas and village mosques, consolidating control at the grassroots level.
In recent years, despite the judiciary, police, and administration, these organisations have announced the formation of jirgas (tribal councils). Ostensibly, these were formed to combat drugs and other vices.
However, with numerous checkpoints at the borders with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, how are drugs entering Azad Kashmir?
Instead of holding the police and administration accountable, these groups have taken over their powers, declaring that jirgas will now resolve people’s issues. The silence of state institutions over two years raises serious concerns. If Azad Kashmir is turned into another Waziristan or FATA, the consequences will be disastrous.
Recently, another campaign was launched in Rawalakot to remove billboards, advertisements, and posters featuring women, claiming them to be “un-Islamic.” Strict warnings were issued to businesses, instructing them not to display such posters or sell products featuring women.
The absence of law is glaring. Armed groups harass locals while law enforcement and government institutions remain silent.
Masked, armed individuals roam cities in large vehicles unchallenged.
A few months ago, a cleric in Rawalakot declared liberals, secularists, and nationalists wajib-ul-qatl (deserving of death) in a public speech, flanked by masked, armed guards. The video of this incident went viral and even reached the UN Human Rights Council.
Who will explain to this cleric that liberalism and secularism are not about moral anarchy but about “live and let live”?
Nationalists, transcending biases, deeply love their homeland. If one cannot be loyal to their own land and people, how can they be trusted to be loyal to anyone else? Ironically, this same cleric has been traveling to Western countries like the UK, Norway, and Canada for fundraising for decades.
Over the last two years, a peaceful movement under the Awami Action Committee has been advocating for basic public rights like affordable electricity and flour. However, efforts to sabotage this movement have intensified. Clerics like Maulana Qadoos have been issuing fatwas for the killing of liberal and nationalist leaders. These fatwas and threats, broadcast live on social media, were ignored by the state despite the public and armed presence of the cleric’s supporters.
Thanks to the public rights movement, citizens in Azad Kashmir have started receiving cheaper electricity and flour. But such progress is intolerable to some factions. To divert attention from real issues, such tactics are employed to undermine the movement’s leadership and members.
The hypocrisy of these so-called reformists is evident. They preach against modern tools and media but rely on them to further their agendas. Their campaigns against women’s images in advertisements mask deeper contradictions they personally benefit from modern technologies and comforts but deny them to others.
Jamaat-e-Islami demands the imposition of an Islamic system in Azad Kashmir, yet collaborates with BJP in Indian-held Kashmir elections to secure the release of their members and contest elections.
The aim was to divide Muslim votes and weaken those advocating for Jammu and Kashmir’s special status restoration. However, Kashmiris thwarted their plans, and the National Conference emerged victorious, passing a resolution for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Such contradictions highlight their true character. They collect donations in pounds featuring the Queen’s image but object to women’s images on posters. They preach traditional remedies yet travel abroad for advanced medical treatments.
The 21st century is an era of progress and technology. Turning back the wheel of advancement is impossible. If we truly wish to progress, we must change our attitudes and mindset. It is the responsibility of those in power to address these challenges and ensure reform.
Pakistan must act decisively to ban such groups in Azad Kashmir. If chaos and lawlessness are the goals, then why spend billions on law enforcement and judiciary? Leave it to armed groups to dictate laws and enforce them.
Extremists often misuse religion as a weapon and resort to abuse when they lack arguments. Rational discourse requires knowledge of history, science, philosophy, and comparative religion, but relying solely on superficial education creates delusions of grandeur.
Azad Kashmir is a sensitive and disputed region under close scrutiny by regional and global powers. Many Kashmiris live abroad and send billions in remittances annually. This diaspora is well-informed and critically observes events. No sane Kashmiri will allow their homeland to be left at the mercy of banned organisations or extremists.
If Pakistan fails to act against these groups, the matter will inevitably escalate internationally, drawing attention from the UN and FATF. The region’s future depends on addressing these challenges with urgency.
Kashmiris have the right to love and protect their homeland just as much as any other nation. This struggle for truth may face opposition, but ultimately, truth will prevail, as it always has.
Main Image: By Shafqathussain at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41027994
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan, originally from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, lives in exile in Switzerland.
He is a Columnist, human rights defender and political analyst.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
