Guess who has not heard of this before? Our Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
Amidst the chaos last week, Pakistan once again voted "NO" for UN intervention against human rights violation in Yemen, but crying out loud about the Indian violations in Kashmir.
Alas, Pakistan has chosen to speak for selective human rights.
This is an undeniable fact that Kashmir is in dire need of UN intervention after a cruel lockdown by the Indian government since August 4th. In the name of development, a large population of 8million Kashmiris is deprived of their basic human rights and necessities, while the international community has sealed its lips.
Earlier this month, before UNGA begins, Pakistan assured that it has international support on Kashmir resolution and will be able to submit it with supporting signatures. Unfortunately, it was just a claim as Pakistan failed to get the minimum quota of 16 members. Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureishi, reportedly, made 3 attempts to OIC but all in vain. Towards the end, Pakistan only gained support from Turkey and Iran.
As much as the nation looked up to its Arab brethren to raise their voice in favor of Kashmir, all they got from them is a private jet of MBS to carry PM Imran Khan to New York for attending UNGA. It is indeed a great show of brotherhood but without any benefit to 8million locked out Kashmiris.
PM Imran Khan made a remarkable speech at UNGA 2019, divided into 4 pointers which included climate change, corruption (of course), islamophobia, and last but not the least Kashmir.
We must applaud his sequence of topics because it kind of built his speech blocks. Nevertheless, we must take this into an account that speech such as at the platforms of the UN does require a structured speech writing.
We know, your heart is in the right place. Hence, you could have done without your extempore display of speech, Mr. Prime Minister.
Throughout his on-going trip, PM Imran Khan has made it loud and clear that the Pakistan Army was involved in the training of Mujahideens, later turned into Taliban and Al-Qaeda. This repetitive emphasis has made international/national media to speculate his on-the-record support for the Taliban, and an obvious harboring at home.
Perhaps, choosing your words wisely was not an option!
Now, the question arises that how all of this is helping Kashmir?
Despite the continuous public reminders and Friday stand-up shows that upcoming UNGA will be focused on Kashmir, it was not!
The speech began with a mandatory I-am-doing-a-favor to this world and invalidating the struggle of several other countries such as Afghanistan, Ecuador, Iraq, Lebanon, Venezuela, Syria, and Yemen. The kindness we expect the world to show us is only possible if we bestow it on them, as well.
Climate change was indeed a positive and polite pick-up note, for which we really admire our prime minister and his isolated efforts in a single province of Pakistan. Hopefully, this initiative spread out by the government, nationwide.
In case you are not aware of the time constraint, every UNGA speaker has a maximum of 15mins whereas Pakistani PM Imran Khan took a little over 50mins. Nevermind, UNGA was polite and just kept on beeping the red light situated in front of the podium.
PM Imran Khan, indeed made some hard-hitting points towards the UNGA members which may help Kashmir to be heard and find itself unisolated. Kashmir deserves the right to live and self-determination, as our PM made it clear in his speech.
This is not the first time, Pakistan has raised its voice for Kashmir.
We must remember the actual historic speech of Sir Zafarullah Khan at UNGA which led the UN to have Kashmir resolution. Speeches at forums like UNGA should act as a catalyst of significant change and not mere motivation.
As the PM's speech was unfolding, many Kashmiris and Pakistanis kept on waiting when will Kashmir come. It came, at last, around 35th minute of the speech!
The speech contained unnecessary mention of RSS and Modi's background which is no news. The on-going situation in Kashmir is full of facts and figures from several independent and Indian news outlets to support the Kashmir resolution itself.
PM Imran Khan speech included the mentioning that how cruel occupation of forces can turn an innocent boy into a terrorist. He empathized and portrayed himself in the same situation for the audience's better understanding.
While he uttered the bitter truth, thousands of Pashtuns, Baloch, Muhajirs, and religious minorities looked in amazement that why they were forced to disappear. With a man of such stature and dignity, they should be served justice, if not at their doorstep, at least in their lifetime.
The same day as our PM gave a heartening speech in UNGA, back home protests were happening in Peshawar. Several doctors gathered in KPK province to protest against regional and district authorities act. Provincial police used force against the protestors, resulting in many injured doctors. The immediate imposition of Article 144 took place at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar barring more than5 doctors to gather at one place.
Few days before UNGA began, a human rights activist Gulalai Ismail had to flee Pakistan and file asylum in the US, because of her activism with Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.
Three days before the speech, Amnesty International urged Pakistan government to release a Fulbright scholar Junaid Hafeez. Mr. Hafeez was a lecturer at Bahauddin Zakaria University and has been kept in solitary confinement since Jun '14 over false blasphemy charges.
In all fairness, a Pakistani like myself cannot help but wonder if Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech was all preach and no practice!
