Dr Shabir Choudhry

Are Kashmiris Part of the Kashmir Dispute?: Bilateral Talks Have Failed, Trilateral Talks Are Must - People of Kashmir Must Be Part of Dialogue Process Dr Shabir Choudhry

Because of the position taken by both India and Pakistan, many people believe that Kashmir is a "territorial dispute" between the both countries. This is not true. Kashmir is not, I repeat, not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. The Kashmir issue is about the basic human rights of the Kashmiri people, including the right to determine their own future. The people of Kashmir do not want to be treated like cattle, that others can decide our future. We are not in a business of selecting masters. We want to be masters of our own destiny. That means we want to live like a nation. We want to be independent of both India and Pakistan. It must be made clear to both India and Pakistan that we are fighting for our independence and we will not accept any decision to be forced upon us. We cannot allow the bureaucrats of Islamabad and New Delhi to decide the future of Kashmir. If any such decision is taken, we will resist it. We cannot and will not accept the division of Jammu and Kashmir.