Hashim Qureshi: Difference between revisions

The hijackers were greeted by the Chairman of [[Pakistan Peoples Party]], [[Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto]], who would later become the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]]. On February the 1st 1971 all the passengers and crew were sent back to India via Amritsar and the 'Ganga' was set on fire by the Pakistani ISI [https://web.archive.org/web/20110718130504/http://www.khalidhasan.net/2003/04/11/the-truth-about-the-ganga-hijacking/][http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/03apr17/national.htm#2]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. The hijackers and Maqbool Bhat were firstly praised as heroes and freedom fighters (as this was the first instance Kashmiris had brought their cause to the attention of the World) but then they and hundreds of other members of JKNLF were arrested, interrogated in Shahee Qila, Lahore and Dolayee Camp near [[Muzaffarabad]]. Because they have been on parole of R&AW. Later six of them were tried in a special court of Pakistan under the charges of collaboration with the Indian intelligence services. They were Maqbool Bhat, G.M. Lone, Mir Abdul Qayyum, Mir Abdul Manan and the two hijackers Hashim Qureshi and Ashraf Qureshi. The case started in December 1971 and after a long trial in which 1984 prosecuting and 1942 defence witnessed were called was concluded in May 1973. All but Hashim Qureshi were cleared of all charges other than dealing with arms and explosives etc. Hashim Qureshi was sentenced to nineteen years' imprisonment. Maqbool Bhat submitted for this case a statement which is arguably the most detailed reflection of his political ideology, excerpt: "I can say without any hesitation that I have not designed any conspiracy nor have I been a part of any group of conspirers. My character has always been transparent and unambiguous. However, I have done one thing and that is the rebellion against ignorance, greed of wealth, exploitation oppression, slavery and hypocrisy. If the ruling class of Pakistan that is a product of imperialism and represented by the bureaucracy and military dictatorship of this country views this as conspiracy then I have no hesitation in accepting the charge". Ganga Case was carried out under special presidential orders of the then [[President of Pakistan]] [[Yahya Khan]] according to which the accused were denied the right to appeal against the decision of this special court. Despite many requests and protests in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan, the right to appeal for Ganga accused was not accepted. The right to appeal was restored only after the British Kashmiris warned several Pakistani ministers on their visits to Britain that the unlawful tactics of the Pakistani rulers to convict these Kashmiris would be exposed. Using this right, JKNLF filed an appeal against the Special Court's decision about Hashim Qureshi. But it took seven years before the appeal was heard at Supreme Court, which was composed of a full bench of three judges, where Hashim Qureshi was eventually also cleared.

The Pakistani authorities released Hashim Qureshi in 1980. He married the daughter of his maternal uncle in 1982. In 1985, the [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] (ISI) approached him to join hands. The ISI wanted to get young people from Kashmir, for training. They offered him money, land and other things. After long discussions of four months, he declined. He argued that Pakistan had also occupied Gilgit- Baltistan and [[Azad Kashmir]], where there is no democracy. After that, the Pakistani authorities started hunting him; he escaped Pakistan and fled to [[The Netherlands]]. He had to leave his wife, who was then pregnant, and their two children. They joined him after four months with help from [[Amnesty International]] and other human rights organisations [http://inhome.rediff.com/news/2001/feb/14inter.htm].

* [http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2007/07/22/stories/2007072250030400.htm "Return of trust and hope"]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Hindu'', by Aditi Bhaduri. Retrieved 7 August 2009