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Islamabad: Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Masood Khan has asserted that India’s actions in Kashmir, including the revocation of Article 370, are part of a broader strategy to marginalize minorities and advance its national agenda.
According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, Khan expressed these views during a roundtable discussion organized by the Center for International Strategic Studies in Islamabad. The event, titled “Revisiting the Kashmir Conflict Under the Changing Indian Polity,” provided a platform for experts to discuss the implications of India’s policies in the region.
Khan, who has served as a diplomat in Beijing and Washington and as a representative at the United Nations, emphasized that the Hindutva agenda extends beyond Kashmir, aiming for a wider influence across the subcontinent. He pointed to the installation of the Akhand Bharat Map in the Indian Parliament as evidence of expansionist ambitions and urged Pakistan to maintain strategic deterrence.
Joining the discussion, Dr. Mohammad Mujeeb Afzal, an associate professor at Quaid-i-Azam University, questioned India’s secular identity. He argued that post-1947 governance has selectively applied secularism, marginalizing minorities and using communal violence as a tool for electoral gains.
Afzal highlighted legislative measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the abrogation of Article 370 as part of efforts to reshape Indian democracy. He noted that these policies deepen the exclusion of Muslims and restrict their political participation.
Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi, executive director of CISS, concluded the discussion by asserting that international pressure is necessary to bring occupying states like India to negotiations. He emphasized Pakistan’s ongoing support for Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom and called for concrete international action.
The discussion underscored the need for Pakistan to enhance diplomatic advocacy and engage with international organizations to keep the Kashmir issue prominent on the global stage.
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