In an interview with one Pakistani blogger Farhan Virk who calls himself a part of ‘Team IK’ (Team Imran Khan), the former Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit has revealed that he managed to influence ’eminent’ journalist Shobhaa De to write an article on Kashmir in the aftermath of terrorist Burhan Wani’s death.
The relevant bits of the interview can be watched here:
[videopress jZEKQTmx]
The article Abdul Basit was presumably referring to, was written by Shobhaa De in July 2016. The article was titled ‘Burhan Wani is dead but he’ll live on till we find out what Kashmir really wants’. The article could only be accurately described as serving as a defence for Kashmiri Jihad. De even calls for a referendum on the matter, a pivotal Pakistani talking point.
At one point in the conversation, Basit mentions, “One of the challenges I had faced was how to find a journalist who we can convince to write a good article on behalf of us, advocating a referendum in Kashmir. Then I found a lady, Shobha De…”
She wrote, “Let’s see if the present government has the guts to go ahead with a referendum to resolve the Kashmir crisis once and for all. Let’s end the lingering pain in the region and allow Kashmiris to live in peace, with the dignity and harmony they are entitled to.”
Shobhaa De also attempts to put the Indian security forces and the terrorists of the valley who pelt stones and indulge in rampant terrorism on the same pedestal. She also doesn’t hesitate from using words like ‘martyr’ for Burhan Wani, even in passing, thereby subtly peddling Pakistan’s agenda.
Shobhaa De completely ignores the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley. She also fails to appreciate the entrenched racism and religious bigotry, the Kashmiri Muslim analogue to White Supremacy, that motivates Kashmiris to wage Jihad against the Indian state.