In UN Speech, Imran Khan Washes Hands of Kashmir

If only Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was as astute about contemporary issues as he is about historical ones.

It was refreshing to hear Khan openly discuss the roots of Islamophobia,  expose the racist ideology of India's ruling party, defend Muslims' passionate love for Prophet Muhammad (S), regret Pakistan's role in training American-sponsored "mujahideen groups" in Afghanistan,  and lament his country's alliance with the United States after 911 at the expense of 70,000 Pakistani lives and $150 billion lost to the Pakistani economy.

"Our Prophet was the witness to the divine book the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran is the book of guidance for muslims and the Prophet's life was living the Quran so he is the ideal we all try to get to. The Prophet lives in our hearts," Khan explained passionately during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday. "When he is ridiculed, it hurts. The pain of the heart is far far far more hurtful than physical pain."

Any Muslim, Pakistani or not, Khan-supporter or not, can't help but swell in pride at such honest and heartfelt discourse delivered at an important international forum.

But with the Muslim region on the precipice of the mother of all wars, we need much more than that. We need leaders who are able to translate past experiences to lessons learned so correct political decisions are taken today.

Unfortunately, Khan's proposed solutions to the Kashmir crisis show he is unable to do that. His solutions, starting with rooting for Modi's electoral win thinking "some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached," not only fail to fix problems but create exponentially more!

After listening to back-to-back speeches and interviews Khan gave during his New York trip, it's obvious that the Pakistani government has no plans to help Kashmiris other than lip-service.

And it's not the first time Kashmiris have been abandoned. During a meeting of the League of Nations [precursor to UN] in Geneva, Switzerland, 80+ years ago, Pakistani thinker Allama Iqbal lamented the selling off of Kashmir:

Bade Saba Agar Ba Geneva Guzar Kuni
Harfai Zaman ba Majlisi Aqwame Baz Goyai
Dehkan Wa Kesht Koh Wa Joyai Wa bayaban Farokhtand
Qoumai Farokhtand Wa Cha Arzan Farokhtand

More non-solutions from the "Ambassador of Kashmir":

• Khan handed Kashmir off to the "world community" to resolve, knowing full well that the UN has failed to do so in 70+ years. While Khan vowed to "fight" India if India attacks Pakistan, he said nothing about what Pakistan will do to free Kashmiris, otherwise. In fact, using the Orientalist jingo that he condemned earlier in his speech, he urged the UN to come save the Kashmiris who, left on their own, will become "radicalized" under the horrific curfews.  Like any other oppressed people, Kashmiris will organize, mobile, and resist. Why call that radicalism?

• Khan accepted U.S. President Donald Trump's offer to mediate the Kashmir issue even though, as Khan said in his speech, Pakistan's suffered a "nightmare" every time America came into the equation. Anyone following Trump's mediation in Palestine knows his solution to the Kashmir crisis will likewise be giving land to the occupier and resettling indigenous people to other lands. Khan should have rebuffed Trump's offer as Iranian President Rouhani did in his speech to UNGA. "The solution for [peace, security, and stability] should be sought inside the region rather than outside of it," Rouhani said. "The issues of the region are bigger and more important than the United States is able to resolve. The United States has failed to resolve the issues in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and has been the supporter of extremism, Talibanism, and Daeshism. Such a government is clearly unable to resolve more sophisticated issues of today." [As a side, Rouhani's failure to mention Kashmir in his UN address was very upsetting!]

• Khan invited the U.S. to "put out flames in the world" despite witnessing (and even condemning) decades of U.S drone attacks in Pakistan and indiscriminate bombing of neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. How can Khan expect America the trouble-maker to become America the problem-solver? Modi threatened to take Jammu and Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, and then Gilgit-Baltistan. If Pakistan doesn't help Kashmiris kick India out now, the fire burning in Pakistan's backyard will enter its house. 

Help from Pakistan should come in the form of standing behind the Kashmiri Resistance Movement and assisting them in whatever form THEY need, not passing the buck to those behind death and destruction in Muslim lands.

It should be clear to Kashmiris now that they can rely on no one but God and themselves for their freedom. I supplicate in the words of Iqbal: “Bring revolution in the hearts of Kashmiris so that they can live with honor in this world.”