Pak Releases Stamps ‘Misrepresenting’ Protest by Kashmiri Pandits

Roots in Kashmir wrote to UN seeking intervention to stop the misleading claims made by Pakistan by releasing stamps

The picture in the stamp is from a protest organised by a Kashmiri Pandit group called ‘Roots in Kashmir’.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

After releasing postal stamps branding Burhan Wani as a “Freedom Icon”, Pakistan has now issued postal stamps claiming “atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir”, which has been termed as misleading by a Kashmiri Pandit group.

Kashmiri Pandits-led group, Roots in Kashmir, has written to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that “Pakistan’s spiteful attempt at insulting the struggle of Kashmiri Pandits” by releasing these stamps actually come with a picture of a protest against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

Roots in Kashmir wrote to UN on Monday, 1 October, seeking intervention to stop the misleading claims made by Pakistan by the means of releasing stamps.

Alleging that the release of these misleading stamps add insult to their injury, the spokesperson of Roots in Kashmir told The Quint, “The perpetrator of the crime against Kashmiri Pandits, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has issued a postal stamp with a photograph of Kashmiri Pandits in protest. The picture in the stamp is from a protest organised by a Kashmiri Pandit group 'Roots in Kashmir' against the injustices, crimes, murders, rapes and acts of terrorism sponsored and supported by the state of Pakistan.”

Roots in Kashmir’s letter to UN Secretary General.(Photo: The Quint)

“The Pakistani propaganda tool, which only believes in spreading terrorism and lies, portrays this as a protest against the Indian state by Kashmiri Pandits. We see this an attempt to appropriate the exodus and exile of Kashmiri Pandits, and thus a spiteful attempt at not just deflecting blame, but also an attempt to deny the victims of ethnic cleansing a right to protest by appropriating their symbols of protest.”

Amit Raina, Spokesperson, Roots in Kashmir

The Kashmiri Pandit group has sought UN’s intervention to force Pakistan Government to withdraw the stamps and issue an apology to the Kashmiri Pandit community “for the crimes against them and also for the false representation they have tried to make by using the protest picture of Roots in Kashmir,” Raina told The Quint.

“Recently, Pakistan has issued postal stamps in support of the terrorists and terrorism in the Valley. The postal stamps not only make a hero out a terrorist, it also has a line in Urdu text running down the left side of the stamps that reads: “Kashmir will become Pakistan.”

Amit Raina, Spokesperson, Roots in Kashmir

Recently, Pakistan Post issued at least 20 postage stamps featuring slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani and others who died in pellet gun attack as Pakistan’s ‘national heroes’, The Times of India reported.

Citing the stamps glorifying Wani, a day after accepting Pakistan’s proposal for talks, India called off a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister on Friday, 21 September.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the decision to turn down Pakistan’s offer was taken in the wake of “two deeply disturbing developments”.

These were the latest brutal killings of Indian security personnel by Pakistan entities, and the release of series of postal stamps by Pakistan glorifying terrorists.