MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Dr Muhammad Najeeb and Prime Minister Iftikhar Gillani on Wednesday called for restraint, peace and greater awareness of the region’s history, with the latter warning that provocative discourse and prevailing unrest were disrupting the lives of ordinary people.
Addressing a seminar organised by the Sudhan Educational Conference in connection with the anniversary of Col Khan Muhammad Khan, popularly known as Baba-iPoonch, and Captain Muhammad Hussain Shaheed, the AJK leadership also paid tribute to their contributions to the freedom movement and the promotion of education.
President Najeeb observed that social media had blurred the distinction between truth and falsehood, making it imperative to incorporate the sacrifices of national heroes and the history of the freedom movement into the educational curriculum.
PM Gillani also blamed irresponsible discourse, particularly on social media, where provocative language was being used merely to attractviewership.
‘Did we dream of a future where our children cannot go to school and patients cannot reach hospitals?’ he asked, adding that while there might be governance-related shortcomings, chaos was notthe answer. ‘The issue is not whether the demands are right or wrong, but the method being used,’ he said, apparently referring to the ongoing unrest in parts of the region.
He said he had received letters from young girls inPoonch complaining that their schools had not reopened. He urged people to avoid discourse that fuelled disorder, saying the region needed to move towards peace and development. He warned that certain individuals were allegedly exploiting public sentiments for their personal agendas though most of those gathered on Rawalakot outskirts were locals.
‘If the writ of the state is not maintained, the state itself will not survive,’ he stressed, adding that peace was essential for the region that has a development budget of Rs32 billion and compared favourably with the provinces in infrastructure, electricity tariff structure and literacy rate.
In his concluding address, President Dr Najeeb, who is also a grandson of Baba-i-Poonch, said educating younger generations about national heroes and the Kashmir freedom movement was an urgent need. He recalledthat Col Khan Muhammad Khan had encouraged women to save a handful of flour (mutthi bhar aata) to support education and the welfare of the state, demonstrating his commitment to educational advancement. Also, he added, Capt Muhammad Hussain Shaheed had used his personal savings and sold valuables to launch resistance against the Dogra regime.
The establishment of the Azad Government on Oct 24, 1947, was the culmination of the sustained struggle and sacrifices of the region’s elders, Dr Najeeb said. Education, healthcare, electricity and road facilities were also the outcome of their struggles, he said, urging people to exercise wisdom and not let the achievements go waste due to personal agendas of certain individuals.
AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq said understanding thehistory and origins of the Kashmiri movement was essential to forming an informed opinion about the region. He said AJK was not merely a territory spanning 5,000 square miles but was founded on the concept of representing the entire erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Former AJK president Sardar Masood Khan warned that nations which forgot their heroes eventually lost their identity, suggesting that Col Khan Muhammad Khan should be remembered not only as Baba-i-Poonch but also as Baba-i-Kashmir.
Also, ex-president Sardar Yaqoob Khan called for addressing the root causes of public grievances rather than resorting to allegations and confrontation.Others who spoke included MNA Sher Afzal Marwat, Sudhan Educational Conference President Sardar Shazib Shabbir and MLA Sehrish Qamar.