BY : Sumblina Hassan
Former Secretary to
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto
In charge of office 10 UK, RCC Bilawal house
Published By:ANI News Agency
Kashmir is passing through a deeply painful and distressing period. It is heartbreaking to witness our brothers and sisters facing humiliation, suffering and, most tragically, the loss of precious human lives. Behind every life lost is a family, a home, a mother, a father, a child and a future that can never be brought back.
At such a sensitive moment, the first responsibility of every individual, political leader and community representative must be the protection of human life.
Life matters. Every Kashmiri life matters.
Our women, children and men are innocent. They should never become victims of political confrontation, rivalry, anger or hatred. Differences over elections, political representation or public policy are part of democratic life, but they must never be allowed to develop into violence against our own people.
We must ask ourselves honestly: who benefits when Kashmiris are pushed against one another?
Division has always been a powerful instrument for those who seek to weaken societies. When people become trapped in confrontation, their attention moves away from the real issues affecting their lives. Political differences become personal hostility, communities become suspicious of one another, and genuine grievances are buried beneath anger and fear.
Kashmir must not be allowed to become a victim of such a cycle.
The Kashmir question is deeply sensitive and carries profound historical, political and emotional significance. The aspirations of the Kashmiri people, their dignity, their rights and their desire for a peaceful and secure future remain central to the issue. Because of this sensitivity, Kashmir can also become vulnerable to those who may attempt to exploit internal differences for political or strategic purposes.
This demands political maturity and vigilance from all of us.
We must be careful of anyone who deliberately attempts to create hatred between communities, provinces or political groups. We must reject inflammatory rhetoric and refuse to become instruments of those who benefit from instability.
At the same time, legitimate grievances must never be ignored.
Citizens have the right to question their representatives. They have the right to demand accountability. They have the right to protest peacefully and to raise their concerns before elected representatives and constitutional institutions.
But there is a proper way to seek justice.
Complaints should be formally recorded. Evidence should be examined. Investigations should be conducted fairly and transparently. Those responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable according to law.
Accountability must lead to justice not revenge.
A simple act of voting should never become a reason for disproportionate vengeance and hatred. Democracy gives people the right to choose differently. One person may support one candidate while another supports a different political party. This is not a reason for them to become enemies.
The strength of democracy lies precisely in our ability to disagree peacefully.
Democracy cannot flourish without peace, tolerance, dialogue and respect for the rule of law. If every political disagreement becomes an excuse for confrontation, then society loses the very foundations that allow democracy to function.
This is why political leaders and public figures must exercise extraordinary responsibility at times of tension.
Words have power.
A responsible statement can calm an anxious population, while an inflammatory speech can deepen divisions and turn frustration into confrontation. Those who have public platforms must therefore use their influence to promote restraint, peace and constitutional methods rather than encouraging people to turn against each other.
We must not allow speakers, politicians or social media campaigns to convince us that fellow Kashmiris are our enemies.
Our differences do not make us enemies.
We can disagree politically and still respect one another. We can support different candidates and still share the same communities. We can demand our rights while respecting the rights and dignity of others.
That is the true test of democratic maturity.
At this moment, people must also take care of themselves and their families. Where tensions remain high, citizens should avoid unnecessary exposure to danger and take reasonable precautions to protect children, women and elderly family members. Community leaders should encourage calm and discourage confrontation.
Protecting ourselves does not mean remaining silent.
It means choosing responsible action over reckless reaction.
Kashmiris have demonstrated courage and resilience through generations. Today, that courage must be accompanied by wisdom, discipline and restraint. We must not allow anger to destroy the very society whose rights and future we seek to protect.
Our children deserve to grow up without fear. Our women deserve safety and dignity. Our families deserve peace. Our young people deserve education, opportunity and a future in which political differences do not threaten their lives.
We must therefore refuse every attempt to turn Kashmir’s political and constitutional concerns into a source of permanent internal conflict.
We can stand firmly for our rights without promoting hatred.
We can demand justice without seeking revenge.
We can defend our democratic choices without attacking those who choose differently.
And we can remain proud Kashmiris while respecting the dignity and humanity of every person around us.
The future of Kashmir cannot be secured through violence or division. It can only be strengthened through responsible leadership, peaceful political participation, democratic accountability and respect for human life.
Let us raise our concerns with our representatives in Parliament and demand answers. Let us insist that legitimate complaints are properly recorded, investigated and resolved. Let us hold those entrusted with public responsibility accountable through lawful and constitutional means.
Most importantly, let us protect our communities from those who would benefit from chaos.
There will always be people who attempt to exploit anger for their own interests. There will always be those who seek to deepen divisions because a divided society is easier to manipulate.
We must not give them that opportunity.
Kashmir deserves better.
It deserves peace without surrendering principles, democracy without violence, accountability without revenge and political debate without hatred.
Our strength must be measured not by how fiercely we confront one another, but by how courageously we protect our people and defend our democratic and constitutional rights.
Let us choose dialogue over confrontation.
Let us choose justice over vengeance.
Let us choose democratic institutions over violence.
Let us choose responsibility over provocation.
And let us remember that no political objective can justify the unnecessary loss of innocent human life.
Kashmir’s future belongs to its people. It must not be sacrificed to hatred, division or political opportunism.
Let us remain calm, disciplined and courageous. Let us protect our families and our communities. Let us speak for justice, but let us do so peacefully. Let us defend our rights, but let us never forget our responsibility to protect human life and dignity.
The time has come for wisdom to prevail over anger and for democratic principles to prevail over confrontation.
Peace is not weakness. Restraint is not surrender. Democracy is not revenge.
Kashmir needs responsible voices, courageous leadership and a commitment to peace.
Jiye Kashmir — Jiye Pakistan!
