A warped view of Kashmir by Al Jazeera The Excelsior 19 Jul 2025 Maj Gen Harsha Kakar
https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/a-warped-view-of-kashmir-by-al-jazeera/
A warped view of Kashmir by Al Jazeera The Excelsior 19 Jul 2025
Al Jazeera recently released a video on Kashmir, attempting to explain the conflict over the region between India and Pakistan in light of the recently concluded Operation Sindoor. While they did obtain speakers from both sides aiming to project balanced views, what emerged was a warped version of reality as those who participated were carefully selected based on their views. The intention was to avoid projecting where true differences between J and K and POK lie but play on issues which currently neither have relevance nor are logical.
Al Jazeera harped on the UNSC resolution and the plebiscite mentioned in it, claiming it was India which refused to implement the same. What it ignored was that the UNSC resolution had specific steps to be followed, which included Pakistan moving all its forces out from POK along with non-residents they had inducted as the first step. Pakistan never implemented this; hence the resolution collapsed and remains in limbo even to this day.
The columnist also ignored mentioning that the Shimla accord and the Lahore declaration have both implicitly mentioned that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no nation or global organization has any role in its resolution. Hence, while India insists on bilateral discussions, Pakistan talks on a resolution, which is defunct. The entire intent of Al Jazeera was to present a warped image of Kashmir to the global community.
The video spent considerable time covering history and the decision of the then Hindu Maharaja to join India, rather than Pakistan, even though most of its residents were Muslims. What it failed to mention was that Pakistan’s attack on Kashmir, looting, killing and raping of local Kashmiri’s, ignoring religion, was the trigger for the Maharaja to approach India to save his people. It was Pakistan which broke its tacit agreement with the Maharaja of Kashmir on similar lines as it broke it with the Kalat of Baluchistan, another region up in arms against the Pak state.
It also failed to mention that it was Indian troops which prevented tribal and military forces from Pakistan, from further looting and remorselessly killing locals. As with all other princely states, the decision to join India or Pakistan was never made based on population but power vested with the ruler. India was then governed by Lord Mountbatten, who supported the Indian action as it was legal.
The major dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, including failure of talks, in the past few decades, has been Pakistan’s continued support to terrorism which has claimed thousands of innocent lives. Al Jazeera mentions denials by Pak but avoids commenting on the fact that terrorists killed along the Line of Control (LoC) could not have been dropping from the International Space Station nor were humble tourists from Pakistan, carrying weapons, on a sightseeing visit.
It also talks of popular uprisings in Kashmir over the years. There is a lot missing from this assessment. How did the uprisings and support for terrorism suddenly stop when Hurriyat’s Hawala funding came to an end? Was it an uprising or a Pak sponsored violence cottage industry, a fact ignored by the journalist. The departure of Hurriyat changed the face of the region.
It falsely quotes some individuals, claiming them to be local residents, mentioning loss of freedom of expression and militarization. The militarization in Kashmir, as stated by Al Jazeera, is not aimed at local civilians but terrorists and their paid supporters, who target innocent civilians to meet demands of their masters in Pakistan and display to the world that the region is disputed. A classic and recent example is the selected targeting of civilians in Pahalgam.
Added is the need to maintain forces along borders to block infiltration of terrorists and curb any malicious intent of Pakistan to target those living along the LoC. While India avoids civilian casualties on Pakistan’s side, considering them our own residents under foreign occupation, Pakistan has no such qualms. In the recent cross-border firing during Operation Sindoor, there were civilian casualties amongst border residents on the Indian side, none on the Pakistan side.
Freedom of expression has never been curbed. Yes, those who advocate violence against the state are never accepted in any society, now will they be in Indian society. This is not curbing freedom of expression but saving innocents and law-abiding citizens from harm.
Another fact bypassed by Al Jazeera is that historical events which resulted in bandhs and hartals in Kashmir are today history. These are ignored by locals in J and K but marked in POK and the rest of Pakistan. The reason is not displaying solidarity with Kashmiris, which never existed, but to project to the world that the region is disputed.
Al Jazeera has avoided covering levels of development in both, Kashmir and POK. While J and K has a booming tourist economy, development in infrastructure and growth in educational and medical institutes, POK is considered the step child of Pakistan and ignored. There are neither roads, nor electricity nor even basic amenities in POK, while J and K has remarkable development.
In POK the public suffers for basics and constantly protests, each of which is crushed brutally. While J and K has free elections and the current government in power is not from the central ruling party while POK is militarily controlled with a puppet regime. The world witnessed elections in J and K and were praises for its conduct. The same can never be said about POK.
When media networks like Al Jazeera aim to discuss Kashmir, they should consider the same in totality, rather than limiting their views on only those aspects by which they can project a warped image. Kashmir is paradise on earth, which has made Pakistan’s military hierarchy jealous. Rawalpindi has for decades been attempting to reverse development and growth in the economy of J and K but failed. Pahalgam was one such event. Preventing them are Indian security forces and the people of Kashmir, who desire peace and prosperity.
Every time Pak attempts to vitiate the atmosphere in Kashmir, it pays a heavy price. Al Jazeera should suggest to Pak to change its policies, stop supporting terrorism and then approach India for dialogue. The global community currently stands with India, aware that it is right, while Pakistan plays a double game.