KASHMIRIS GAVE THEIR VERDICT ON JULY 19, 1947 TO
ACCEDE TO PAKISTAN:
HABIB YOUSAFZAI, KASHMIR DIASPORA ALLIANCE
ASSALAM-O-ALAIKUM!
In the convention of July 19, 1947, less than four weeks before the independence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (which took place on August 14, 1947) the state of Jammu and Kashmir (a Muslim majority state) decided to become a part of Pakistan. Mr. Yousaf Saraf of the Muslim Conference passed a resolution to accede to Pakistan in the convention through an overwhelming majority vote. The text of the resolution from July 19, 1947(published on July 19, 2012 by Kashnet) is as follows:
In the convention of July 19, 1947, less than four weeks before the independence of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (which took place on August 14, 1947) the state of Jammu and Kashmir (a Muslim majority state) decided to become a part of Pakistan. Mr. Yousaf Saraf of the Muslim Conference passed a resolution to accede to Pakistan in the convention through an overwhelming majority vote. The text of the resolution from July 19, 1947(published on July 19, 2012 by Kashnet) is as follows:
“The inhabitants of the Princely States of the
Sub-Continent had hoped that they would achieve the objectives of national
freedom shoulder to shoulder with the inhabitants of British India, But
unfortunately, whereas the inhabitants of British India achieved freedom with
the partition of the Sub-Continent, the Third June Plan has strengthened the
hands of the rulers of the Princely States. So long as these autocrats do not
bow before the demands of time, the future of the inhabitants of Indian States
will remain bleak. Under these circumstances only three alternatives are open
to the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir State- namely, accession to
India, accession to Pakistan, or the establishment of a free and
independent state. After carefully considering the position, this Convention of
the Muslim Conference has reached the conclusion that accession of
the state to Pakistan is absolutely necessary in view of the
geographic, economic, linguistic, cultural and religious considerations,
because Muslims constitute 80% of the State’s population. All the
major rivers of Pakistan have their source in the State, whose
inhabitants are strongly connected with the people of Pakistan through
religious, cultural and economic relations. The Convention strongly demands of
the Maharaja that the people of Kashmir should be given complete
internal autonomy and that he should treat himself as constitutional Head of
State and set up a representative Legislative Assembly while handing over the
portfolios of defense, foreign affairs and communications to the Constituent
Assembly of Pakistan.”
We the Kashmiris will stick to our initial commitment
regardless of any consequences we may have to face in our struggle for
liberation. Jammu and Kashmir which was illegally occupied by the
Indian Government on October 27, 1947 will join our brothers in Pakistan because
that is the will of the people, and it always has been. If Maqbooza Kashmir
does not hold any ties to Pakistan, than why did the 2 million people
originally fleeing the state at the time of Hari Singh seek refuge in Pakistan?
Why did they not go to India or what is now considered Bangladesh? The fact
remains and is clear that they chose to flee to Pakistan as this was the state
that they chose to accede to.
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