NEW DELHI: Upping the ante with its new global outreach plan to highlight the Kashmir issue on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 (Saturday), the Pakistan foreign ministry has given a customized document to all its foreign missions abroad, except New Delhi, directing them all to share it extensively on social media.
The official missive from the office of Pakistan’s director general (South Asia and SAARC), dated February 3, 2022, says: “A customized document is being shared. All Missions are advised to modify if necessary and share extensively on social media in coordinating with the Pakistani and Kashmiri Diaspora. Social media activities by Missions may kindly be shared with this directorate and Kashmir Cell by return mail.”
The ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations), the PR wing of the Pakistan Army is understood to be closely involved in the preparation of the tool kit document.
Very conveniently leaving out the Pakistani establishment’s help to insurgents operating in Kashmir with weapons, explosives, logistics and funds, the document reiterates that February 5 every year is commemorated as “Kashmir Solidarity Day to mark Pakistan’s “unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support” to the Kashmir cause.
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Notably, while the Imran Khan-led government at Islamabad declares peaceful intentions in its relations with India amid an ongoing ceasefire between the Indian and Pakistani militaries at the Line of Control (LoC), it is embarking on a new information offensive on Kashmir.
More importance is being given to the Pakistani foreign missions in US, Norway, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait etc besides the consulate in Chicago and the Pakistan permanent mission in the United Nations in New York.
The prescribed activities for the foreign missions include digital campaigns, webinars, seminars, virtual zoom meets, screening documentaries, including outreach to parliamentarians, media houses, academia and human rights organizations, while the campaign range include the entire gamut of photo exhibitions, poster design competitions, digitals campaigns, painting and art competitions, cycling events, demonstrations, bike rallies, besides holding demonstrations including sky lantern and folk music events.
A February 3, 2022, foreign ministry circular makes it compulsory for all employees to be present at the ‘solidarity walk’ to be undertaken by the Pak President on Saturday.
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Not to be left out, the Pak foreign ministry is also organizing its own events. An internal circular dated January 27, 2022, mandates the presence of all foreign ministry personnel at an art exhibition to highlight the Kashmir cause on February 10, 2022, when the event will be inaugurated by the Pakistani foreign minister and foreign secretary at the Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan building in the foreign ministry campus in Islamabad.
On Saturday, Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted pleading with the world to take notice of “human rights” issues in India’s Kashmir. Claiming that the Geneva Conventions have been violated, Khan tweeted that it is the international community's responsibility to ensure an impartial plebiscite in Kashmir.
