DIPLOMATIC DOINGS

tion that promotes democracy, the rule of law and human rights for all the people of the Middle East and North Africa.

At the morning news conference outside the Justice Department, USCMO secretary general Oussama Jammal said the group is demanding more information on the case. “We request an urgent meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland to clarify amongst other things if, in fact, the U.S. Department of Justice was informed about the case against Asim in 2020.” He also asked, “How many other cases does the UAE have against other Americans that were tried in absentia?”

Later in the day, a second news conference was held on Capitol Hill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and three of her colleagues, who conveyed their outrage that an American citizen was detained abroad without due process.

Just two days after Ghafoor’s arrest, President Joe Biden met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Both leaders ignored press questions about Ghafoor. —Phil Pasquini

Pakistan Rallies Support for Kashmir Position

Masood Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, hosted a webinar on Aug. 5 to commemorate the third anniversary of Youm-e-Istehsal (India’s decision to strip the autonomy of the contested Jammu and Kashmir region).

“The events that took place three years ago today cast a shadow over the fate of the Kashmiris and the peace and security of South Asia,” the ambassador stated. “In the past year, the attention to Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir has decreased because of the Ukraine crisis and developments in the Asia Pacific region.”

During this time, he noted, civil liberties, parliamentary freedoms and free speech have been denied to more than 10 million Kashmiri citizens. “In crackdowns, political activists and journalists are still being persecuted and incarcerated,” Khan said. “These actions violate international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

Khan called for multilateral diplomacy and a dialogue among representatives of Pakistan, India and Jammu and Kashmir to achieve a “just democratic resolution of the dispute.”

Pakistani Senator Mushahid Hussain said that since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government took these actions, half a million Kashmiris have lost their jobs, while the economy has suffered a loss of $5.3 billion. He added that four million new domiciles have been given to Indians, mostly non-Muslims, changing the demographics of the region.

The Pakistani Senate just passed a unanimous resolution calling India’s annexation of Jammu and Kashmir “illegal,” Hussain related. “It’s about humanity, it’s about legality and the issues of peace, security and stability in a dangerous part of the world,” he said. “India is very aggressive—almost on a war path—against its own people, especially the Muslim people within India and in Indian-occupied Kashmir.”

Afzal Khan, a member of the UK parliament and a strong voice for Kashmiris, pointed out that this year marks the 75th year since the British partition, making Kashmir the longest unresolved conflict on the agenda of the U.N. “It is imperative that U.N. resolutions on Kashmir are implemented,” he urged. “The whole of Asia is suffering because of the Kashmir conflict and there is a risk of war as China, India and Pakistan are all nuclear powers.”

Kjell Magne Bondevik, the former prime minister of Norway, affirmed the importance of diplomacy, but accused India of lacking interest in finding a resolution. “It has been more difficult to reach out to the top level of India than it has been in Pakistan where I have been received by all of the political leaders,” he said.

“It is high time and urgent to initiate new political efforts which can pave the way for a ceasefire and for peace,” Bondevik added. “The United Nations should feel a responsibility, and I appeal to my friend Secretary-General António Guterres to take such an initiative.”

Bondevik also called on the Indian government to release Mohammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, along with thousands of other Kashmiri political prisoners unjustly held by India. An appeal, he said, has been sent to the Indian government through the embassy in Oslo.

Kashmiri American Rizwan Kadir addressed the need to inform Americans about Kashmir. “It is important for our second and third generation of Kashmiris living anywhere in the world to know what the issues are,” he said. “We need to share facts with a wider audience and project the correct narratives,” he added. “The voices of the Kashmiris should be heard.” —Elaine Pasquini

FAISAL KHAN/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES Indian policemen prevent Muslims from participating in a religious procession in Sprinagar, Kashmir, on Aug. 7, 2022.