By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: The speakers at a seminar organized by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) on Tuesday eulogised the struggle of Kashmiris and highlighted the mechanisms needed in the digital age to reach out to the world.
With Member of British Parliament Naz Shah as guest speaker at the lecture on ‘Fighting the Kashmir Cause: A StratComm Response’ along with Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Maleeka Bokhari, the event focused on the Kashmir issue to be highlighted at international level through effective media campaigns and lobbying. She said the need of the hour was to take Kashmir issue to the centre-stage, and vowed to do her bit in this regard as a legislator in the House of Commons.
The MP from Bradford West, who has walked the extra few miles to make an impact on issues concerning minorities and women in Britain, said that abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A were not just a law change, but had an impact on a generation struggling for its legitimate rights. She regretted that even today, many in the world did not know the basics of Kashmiri struggle, and said that until and unless the social media and other forums were activated on the pattern of coverage of Gaza onslaught, nothing would change for good.
‘We need to project the issue in an objective manner, and a strategic shift is needed in explaining the Kashmir cause,†the MP stressed. Kashmir as the most militarised zone in the world with a genocide taking place in it is unaddressed, she regretted. Underscoring the need for a new media strategy, as well as lobbying in real time, Naz Shah observed that the initiative has to come from the grassroots level.
