London: The West’s portrayal of the 1947 events in Jammu and Kashmir as merely a “territorial conflict” has allowed Pakistan to turn the region into the world’s longest-running terror-export operation, according to a recent report.
In an article published by the UK-based Milli Chronicle, Swedish human rights defender Michael Arizanti wrote, “On October 22, 1947, Pakistan launched ‘Operation Gulmarg’ — a state-orchestrated offensive disguised as a tribal rebellion. Armed Pashtun militias, supported by Pakistan Army regulars, invaded Kashmir with a single purpose: to spread terror. What followed was mass slaughter and sexual violence on a scale that today would qualify as crimes against humanity.”
Rejecting efforts to “sanitize history for anyone’s geopolitical comfort,” Arizanti asserted that the 1947 events in Jammu and Kashmir were not a territorial dispute but an invasion driven by Pakistan’s militarized ideology — one that viewed Hindu and Sikh communities as obstacles to a strategic land grab rather than as citizens deserving protection.
He stressed that, even after 78 years, the mindset behind Pakistan’s aggression remains unchanged. “Pakistan’s military still treats land as a prize, civilians as disposable, and jihad as a political tool. The same mindset that sent tribal Lashkars to massacre Kashmiris in Baramulla and Mirpur later gave rise to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and other proxy groups used to destabilize the region,” Arizanti noted.
“Export terror. Deny accountability. Play the victim. Suppress dissent. Pakistan perfected this formula in October 1947 and has repeated it ever since,” he added.
Highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s rapid progress in recent years, Arizanti — a veteran journalist and expert on Middle Eastern affairs, Kurdish issues, and human rights — pointed out that investment and infrastructure have flourished since the 2019 constitutional reforms that more closely integrated the region with India. Tourism has surpassed pre-militancy levels, new universities and hospitals have been established, and local elections have seen record voter turnouts.
“In contrast, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) faces chronic power shortages, rampant human rights abuses, banned civil society groups, and a per capita income less than half of that in India-administered regions. When residents protested food shortages and power theft by authorities in 2024, Pakistani forces opened fire on civilians,” he wrote.
Arizanti also examined Islamabad’s long-standing support for the Afghan Taliban, arguing that it stemmed not from religious solidarity but from territorial insecurity. “Even now, Pakistan accuses Kabul of harboring terrorists, conveniently ignoring the fact that Taliban leaders lived comfortably for years in Quetta and Peshawar under Pakistan’s protection. It’s a toxic codependency — Pakistan fuels Afghan instability to maintain leverage over the peace process,” he concluded.
