During the Pakistan Literature Festival (PLF) discussion on the Kashmir problem, journalists Wusatullah Khan and Hamid Mir interrupted the conversation.
Pakistan Literature Festival: The moderator, Asma Shirazi, addressed the issue and continued the discussion from the point where it had been interrupted. However, the circulation of only a partial video of the event on social media prompted her to release the complete footage.
She tweeted, “What happened in Muzaffarabad yesterday?” and attached the complete conversation video. Shirazi suggested watching the clip to those spreading false information.
During the conversation, columnist Wusatullah Khan challenged the Kashmir policy, which led some audience members to shout protest slogans. However, the Khan and Mir were forced to leave the stage by continuous cheering and sloganeering, with the former lamenting public sentiment towards many topics.
Highlights from the Two-Day PLF Conference in Muzaffarabad, AJK
When the two journalists attempted to leave, the students remained silent—according to Shirazi, the PTI or Imran Khan had nothing to do with this conversation.
Wusatullah Khan stated, “The plight of Kashmir has become a source of livelihood for many people, including Kashmir Committee and political leaders on both sides of Kashmir.”
“How many reporters are there in Bangladesh, so when a circumstance does not exist, our neighbors affect our fortunes? I’m sorry to report that you are not an issue; you are an industry when we have an opinion about them compared to who you are sitting with a strip of Kashmir. The Kashmir Committee, Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and all of Kashmir’s political classes depend on this sector for their living. So why would I give up my job to offer unconventional solutions to this problem? He said.
He lamented that Bradford, UK residents were hearing about the Kashmir conflict from the Centre. Those in the back of the room began shouting slogans in response to this remark.
Khan discussed the “prescribed” Kashmir strategy and questioned whether those who shouted slogans were aware of Khurshid Hasan Khurshid, who had considered coming up with an unconventional solution to the long-standing conflict.
Khurshid Hasan Khurshid, the previous president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was lauded by Khan as the greatest leader this region has ever known.
The two-day PLF is taking place in AJK’s Muzaffarabad.