LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has drawn the attention of the Socialist International towards the miseries people of the India-held Kashmir are facing due to the curfew continuing for the last two months there and urged members of a platform of socialist parties from across the world to lend their voice in support of the poor Kashmiris.

“…I urge you to lend your voice to the search for justice for the people of India-held Jammu and Kashmir,” he says in a two-page communique to the world body of which 147 political parties from 100 countries written on Sept 24.

Released to the media by Chaudhry Manzoor here on Friday, the letter reads that in the absence of voices to speak truth to unbridled power inhumane action by the Indian government will continue to be committed with impunity.

Recapping the Kashmiris struggle since Dogra Raj, Mr Bhutto-Zardari says the people in the Held Valley have been denied their fundamental right to political expression, representation and freedom of association for the last 50 days. Over 4,000 teachers, activists, lawyers and political leaders are arbitrarily imprisoned, many others have disappeared, while the population there is living with shortages of basic necessities including medicine and food as the valley is cut off from all outside communication.

Recounting the atrocities and brutalities being faced by the people, he says these do not just have state sanction rather “they are being committed as policy by a government that claims to be the largest democracy of the world”.

He fears that the atrocities will continue unabated unless the people like the members of the Socialist International who have spent their lives struggling against injustice, for equality and rights, stand up against this expression.

He called for recognising the striving of Kashmiris as legitimate, upheld and reaffirmed as intrinsically progressive nature and not allowing it to be maligned as violent or extremist.

“Together we must remind the people of India-held Jammu and Kashmir that they are not alone; that where their voices do not carry, we will lend ours. And that we will not rest until they do.

“I have faith that the Socialist International will continue to uphold the values for which it stands, We remain united in our beliefs and in our common struggle,” concludes the letter.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2019