TRIBUTE TO LATE SYED ALI SHAH GEELANI FOLLOWED BY RESEARCH REPORT LAUNCH

Introduction

Kashmir Institute of International Relations organized an event to pay homage to late Syed Ali Shah Gaillani, followed by Research Report launch at Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad on September 06, 2021. Ms. Tehmina Janjua Former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan was the Chief Guest of the event, other guest speakers include Brig. Saif ur Rehman Malik Director India Study Centre ISSI, Ershad Mehmud Executive Director KIIR, author & writer Syed Saboor Ali and Altaf Hussain Wani Chairman KIIR.

The event was moderated by Altaf Hussain Wani Chairman KIIR. After a humble recitation of the Holy Quran Mr. Wani welcomed the honourable guests and participants of the event.He, then, recounted the life long struggle of Syed Ali Geelani for Kashmir Cause and paid glowing tribute to Syed Ali Geelani, chairman & guests also offered Fatiha for the departed soul of Shaikh Tajammul-ulIslam, veteran journalist, intellectual and Executive Director of Kashmir Media Service. Mr. Wani edified the participants that since 2005, KIIR has been regularly publishing research reports, short stories, yearly and quarterly reports, pamphlets, and handbills on human rights violations which are widely circulated and appreciated at national and the international level.

After brief introduction of the research report titled “Towards Annexation and Indianization of Kashmir in Broad Daylight Context, Machinations & Implications” Mr. Wani advised & requested all the policy makers, experts and researchers to push the envelope on the recommendations and findings of the research report which would increase the chances for a potential impact of the report on national policy-making. He also urged the researcher and scholars to make significant contribution to the further themes of the report. He, then, formally initiated the debate by inviting Syed Saboor Ali, author and writer of the research report, to speak on this topic.

Saboor Ali Saeed, author and writer, thanked Altaf Hussain Wani and KIIR team for their support, guidance and assistance in conducting this research. He further explained the purpose of the research and described that India is trying to change facts on ground and how the situation has been changed upside down in Indian Illegal Occupied Jammu and Kashmir post Aug 05. He further explained that India is trying to change cultural identity of Kashmiris by banishing Urdu language and declaring Hindi as the official language. He added that the land grabbing, notching and vandalization of properties in the name of strategic lands is the ultimate tool to suppress the Kashmiri population in IOK. He, then, suggested that we need to be crafty and tactful because there is a confusion regarding Kashmir at the international forum. He concluded on the remarks that Hindutva regime is ultimately Indianizing each and every state openly under the banner of the secular Indian Republic and we need to Boycott sanction tactics against India.

Ershad Mehmud, Executive Director CPDR, expressed his gratitude towards KIIR for providing him the opportunity to speak on the topic. He paid tribute to Syed Ali Shah Geelani and opened his remarks by stating that India claims a secular identity, however, Mr. Geelani crushed the myth that no-one can challenge the Indian state by exposing the rigged election of 1987 in IOK. He further discussed that how Geelani sab moved the youth of Kashmir and shaped the central narrative of Kashmir. Syed Geelani had a clear vision for Kashmir, seeking negotiations by government people in IIOJK. Mr. Ershad then explained the drastic changes that have been made in Kashmir post 5 August 2019. He stressed upon the need to update existing literature and to immediately work on Kashmir at various levels.

Brigadier Sai fur Rehman, Director India Study Centre, ISSI, first thanked the Altaf Hussain Wani and the KIIR team and commended them on their well-deserved success. Brig. Saif also paid tribute to Syed Ali Shah Geelani and said that Geelani sab contributions are unparalleled. He said that Geelani sb has raised the banner for Kashmir and strengthened the tree of resistance. He further elaborated that how Indian scholars have been working on Indianization of Kashmir region. He declared India’s illegal unilateral action of 5th August in IIOJK as the 9/11 of Kashmir. He recommended that political, social and economic dimensions need to be examined in the case of Kashmir and we need to take steps against the demographic terrorism by Indian State in IIOJK. While discussing KIIR research report he said that this is well cited report done by KIIR and it can be used as a reference material. He appreciated KIIR’s efforts and concluded his remarks by saying that after reading this thoroughly, I will recommend this report to every student, scholar, institute and university of Pakistan. This report should be disseminated to embassies, think tanks, policy makers of all over the world through Foreign Office of Pakistan.

Ms. Tehmina Janjua, Former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Praised Syed Ali Shah Geelani and said that he had been the unwavering voice in Kashmir. Ms. Tehmina further explicated that how Geelani sab has raised the voice for Kashmir across the world. Ms. Tehmina shared her personal experience of how she was enthused about Kashmir whenever she met Geelani sb. She further suggested that there is a need for an exhaustive media campaign. She discussed in detail that how Kashmiri people are suffering at the hands of brutal Indian occupation forces. She stressed on raising voices of and for people of IIOJK. She said that Kashmiri narrative should be kept alive. She explained that without media campaign there is no projection of Kashmir issue. She also stressed on the role of Pakistani & Kashmiri diaspora being important pillars of Kashmir cause. She concluded her remarks by elucidating that Pakistan will continue its full moral, political and diplomatic support to people of IIOJK and will always continue to stand for the people of Kashmir.