Tributes Paid to Maqbool Butt and Other Kashmiri Martyrs
Kashmir Dispute Poses Ongoing Threat to Regional Peace: Mushaal. Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the wife of jailed Kashmiri leader Mohammad Yasin Malik, has reiterated that the Kashmir dispute is not merely a regional issue but a nuclear flashpoint that poses a significant threat to regional stability, including to ASEAN nations with strategic interests in South Asia.
She made these remarks during the inauguration of a Kashmir Art Exhibition at the National College of Arts, which she co-hosted with Azmi Abdul Hamid, President of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM). Mushaal, who is also the Chairperson of the Peace and Culture Organisation, emphasized the dangers of any major conflict in Kashmir, warning that it could disrupt ASEAN’s economic ties, trade routes, and regional peace efforts.
“Kashmir has been under brutal occupation and military lockdown for decades, facing extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and systematic oppression,” Mushaal stated. “It is time for the global community, including ASEAN nations, to raise their voices and stand with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), whose right to self-determination has been denied.”
The Hurriyat leader highlighted the role of art in Kashmir’s freedom struggle, stating that it provides a platform for Kashmiris to express their emotions, hopes, and aspirations. She commended the artists and organizers for their efforts in promoting the Kashmir cause through art and called for continued international support for the people of Kashmir.
Mushaal pointed to the increasing suppression of civil rights in the region, including torture, illegal detentions, media blackouts, and internet shutdowns designed to silence dissent. She condemned the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, which she said paved the way for demographic changes through illegal settlement policies, further exacerbating the situation.
Mushaal called on ASEAN to act just as it has in the past when addressing the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, and the apartheid policies in South Africa. She stressed that Kashmir is another case where a people’s right to self-determination is being denied through force.
“ASEAN, as an emerging global voice, must demand an end to the illegal occupation of Kashmir and pressure India to comply with United Nations resolutions calling for a plebiscite,” Mushaal urged. She also called for the immediate release of political prisoners like Yasin Malik, who has been unjustly detained for his role in the Kashmir freedom struggle, and called for international monitoring of human rights abuses in the region.
In his speech, Azmi Abdul Hamid, President of MAPIM, emphasized that the Kashmir freedom struggle is a test of ASEAN’s commitment to justice, peace, and human rights. “Silence in the face of oppression is complicity,” he said, urging ASEAN to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums and advocate for an end to Indian military occupation in the region.
He also called for the immediate release of Yasin Malik and other political prisoners, who are languishing in jail under politically motivated charges. “The people of Kashmir have suffered for far too long. ASEAN must stand on the right side of history, just as it has for Palestine, Myanmar, and other oppressed nations,” Hamid asserted.
Mushaal Hussein Mullick also paid tribute to Maqbool Butt, an iconic Kashmiri freedom fighter, and other martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Kashmir’s freedom. She reaffirmed her commitment to carrying forward their mission and striving for the realization of a free and independent Kashmir.
The event was attended by MAPIM President Azmi Abdul Hamid, his delegation, and Prof. Zafar Sindhu, Advisor to Mushaal Hussein Mullick.
