|
A Srinagar based-journalist while busting the Pakistani narrative on Kashmir has urged the Kashmiri diaspora in London to stem Islamabad's propaganda which is fraught with denigrating the image of the valley in the international arena, media reports said.
At a London gathering, the Kashmiri activist Bashir Assad told that Pakistan is fuelling terrorism in Kashmir. "The Pakistani propaganda is spreading the idea of the Islamic Caliphate to radicalise the youths in the Valley. They are using the outdated UN resolutions and plebiscite calls to muster support from the global audience. It is high time to stem the false narratives on Valley." Bashir Assad, an author engaged in peace-building initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir, exposed Pakistan by noting the real stories are far from the Pakistani narrative, reported Asian Lite News. Notably, Bashir Assad is the author of three famous books on Kashmir - K File: The Conspiracy of Silence and Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective and Kashmir beyond Article 370. The event was organised by South Central Asia Academic Forum (SCAAF UK) in London to discuss Bashir's new book "Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective." Vinod Tikoo, founder member of the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre in London and Bismah Mir, the editor of The Kashmir Central also addressed the gathering. Highlighting the use of militants by Pakistan as a weapon to terrorise women and children in the valley, Bismah Mir, "They (Pakistan) are forcing youngsters to join the militant by threatening their mothers and sisters." "The stereotypical Kashmir narrative runs on a grinding machine of disinformation, half-truths, and concocted accounts unrelentingly flowing from Pakistan," said Srinagar-based Journalist Assad. "This is an obfuscation of truth. Through the cruel, merciless arms of terrorism, atrocities, and pain have been inflicted upon the Kashmiris. Hair-raising terrorist atrocities over more than 30 years tell the story of how Pakistan has ripped apart the life and happiness of Kashmiris." Assad said that the diaspora must come forward and rupture the Pakistani misinformation campaign of Pakistan. He added that there is a large number of Mirpuri immigrants (who are originally from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) in countries like the UK. These immigrants make the Pakistani version dominant in the media and political circle. Because of this reason, he continued saying that some leaders are creating vote banks and setting personal agendas by using Kashmir cards, as per the media portal. "Everybody wrote about Kashmir," said Assad. "There will be oceans of content about Kashmir. Most of them are confining to certain narratives. My concern in is about the society and the society has been destroyed by these narratives. The eco-system created by these narratives." (ANI)
|
