Zafar Choudhary: Difference between revisions

| spouse          = Irm Amin Baig

| children        = Choudhary Hamaad Salif, Amelia Laraeb

'''Zafar Choudhary ''' is an Indian journalist, author, policy analyst, and practitioner of peace-building. He is founder and Chief Editor of [[The Dispatch (Jammu and Kashmir)|The Dispatch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Why I wrote a book on Jammu Muslims|url=https://www.dailyo.in/user/7978/zafar-choudhary|publisher=LinkedIn}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.epw.in/author/zafar-choudhary| title= Author -Zafar Choudhary|access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref><ref name="KashmirLife">{{Cite web|url= https://kashmirlife.net/interview-issue-13-vol-07-80828/|title= Interview of Zafar Choudhary…There is some realignment within the administration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=About Zafar Choudhary|url=https://www.thedispatch.in/the-dispatch-about-policies-and-standards/#about|publisher=TheDispactin}}</ref> Educated at the [[London School of Economics and Political Science]], he is [[Asia Society]] Fellow (2012).<ref>{{cite web|title=India-Pak Young Leaders -Zafar Iqbal Choudhary|url= https://asiasociety.org/sites/default/files/2019-02/IPRYLI-Inaugural-Class-of-Fellows.pdf|publisher= asiasociety.org }}</ref> He was born in [[Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir]] and is the brother of [[Shahid Iqbal Choudhary]] an Indian Administrative Service officer .<ref>{{Cite web|last=KV|title=Dr Shahid Iqbal, Zafar Choudhary bereaved|url=https://kashmirvision.in/2018/11/08/dr-shahid-iqbal-zafar-choudhary-bereaved/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Kashmir Vision|language=en-US}}</ref>

Zafar Choudhary is a well-known name in the India-Pakistan Track II process with a focus on peacebuilding in [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/848504/track-ii-in-dubai-india-pakistan-meet-discusses-ending-hostilities-but-valley-is-not-convinced |title=Track II -Indo-Pak meet at Dubai , Zafar Choudhary|publisher=Scroll.in}}</ref> He has worked with Conciliation Resources (London) since 2008 on a comprehensive [[India–Pakistan relations|India-Pakistan]] initiatives to build peace in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://c-r.org/news-and-insight/trading-peace-kashmir |title=Track II -Indo-Pak Trading , Zafar Choudhary|publisher=CR.Org }}</ref> He has worked closely with government officials, political and civil society actors across the political divides in both sides of the Line of Control to create unique and exemplary institutes like a Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a Consortium of Vice-Chancellors, drawing members from both sides of India-Pakistan divide in Kashmir.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/business/joint-chamber-appeals-indo-pak-govts-to-salvage-trans-loc-trade|title=Indo-Pak LOC Trade, Zafar Choudhary|publisher=Greater Kashmir }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://amankiasha.com/cross-loc-trade-can-promote-peace-jk-joint-cci/|title=Cross LOC Trade, Zafar Choudhary|publisher=AMN KI ASHA }}</ref>

Choudhary has also remained associated with the [[Royal United Services Institute]], [[United Kingdom]] [[Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs ]] USIP  (Washington DC), Berghof Foundation (Berlin), IPCS (Siem Reap, Cambodia), [[United Services Institution of India|United Services Institute]], New Delhi, [[Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies ]] , New Delhi the WISCOMP, New Delhi and a number of other Thank Tanks and Universities in India and abroad and was a part of the deliberations going on the issue of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pugwashconferences.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/20130917_islamabad_jammu-kashmir_report.pdf|title= Pugwash Conferences Files |publisher=PUGWASH }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://usiofindia.org/events/kashmir-imbroglio-a-reality-check-and-way-forward/|title=Peace & Development in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=USI .Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ipcs.org/issue_briefs/issue_brief_pdf/SR106-EW01-GujjarPerspective.pdf|title=Gujjars Perspective Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=IPCS. Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://wiscomp.org/Publications/115%20-%20HK%204%20-%20Trust%20Building%20and%20Coexistence%20A%20Dialogue.pdf|title= Peace Building in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=Wiscom. Org}}</ref>

Being an expert on Jammu and Kashmir affairs, Zafar Choudhary has been widely recognised and interviewed by the international and national press on Jammu and Kashmir affairs, [[India–Pakistan relations|India-Pakistan]] relations, national security and geo-politics. His interviews or reference to his work have appeared in influential international and national newspapers, magazines and television channels such as The Guardian, UK  ; Aljazeera, Arab News, [[BBC News|BBC]] London, [[ThePrint]], [[The Wire (India)|The Wire]], [[Scroll.in]], The Citizen, Kashmir Observer TRT World, Anti War among others.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/jun/19/kashmir-trade-india-pakistan-peace    |title= LOC Trade in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=IPCS. Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/fear-kashmir-top-general-talks-deradicalisation-camps-200124081502319.html|title=Fear talk on Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=Aljazeera,com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=  https://www.arabnews.com/node/1614986/world  |title=Affairs Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=IPCS. Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://c-r.org/news-and-insight/kashmiri-peacebuilders-discuss-cross-border-trade-bbc|title=Peacebuilder Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=BBC NEWS LONDON }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/jk-police-to-trawl-social-media-posts-slamming-domicile-law-act-if-theres-instigation/394466/|title=New Domicile Law in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=The Print In }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-internet-white-list-net-neutrality|title=Internet issues in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=The Wire In  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/853144/a-people-without-voice-why-gujjar-muslims-in-jammu-are-feeling-under-siege|title=People Without Voice  |publisher=SCROLL IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/9/17616/Why-the-Nationalist-Gujjar-Bakarwals-of-JK-Feel-Betrayed-by-the-Government  |title=Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=The Citizen IN }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://kashmirobserver.net/2020/04/08/rage-resentment-reconciliation-the-shifting-sands-of-jammu/, |title=Reconciliation the shift sands of Jammu  |publisher=IPCS. Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trtworld.com/opinion/the-systematic-use-of-rape-as-a-weapon-of-war-in-kashmir-16468|title= New War in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=IPCS. Org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=  https://original.antiwar.com/pieter-j-friedrich/2019/08/07/jammu-and-kashmir-loses-special-status/|title=  Jammu and Kashmir loses special status |publisher=Original Anti-war Com}}</ref>

Presently, he is Editor in Chief of The Dispatch (Jammu and Kashmir)  an Indian online [[digital news]] service supplemented by channels on YouTube and Facebook to disseminate and distribute rich news content.<ref name="InCorp">{{Cite web|url= https://www.thedispatch.in/ |title= The Dispatch Media Private Limited|website= www.thedispatch.in/ }}</ref> He also writes for [[The Hindu]], [[Rising Kashmir]] and other news paper regularly.

The book by Zafar Choudhary titled ‘Kashmir Conflict and Muslims of Jammu’ (2015) addresses a historical gap in scholarship on [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]. The story of the Muslims of Jammu, their political views, and pro-India outlook, was not known before this book was published. In an interview to ‘Daily O’ of the India Today group, Zafar Choudhary said, the Muslims of Jammu are lost in oblivion.<ref>{{Cite web|title =  Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah and Muslim Kashmir |url = https://www.dailyo.in/politics/kashmir-valley-jammu-and-kashmir-muslims-sheikh-mohammad-abdullah-pakistan-partition-hindu/story/1/4539.html|website = The Hindu/ Dailyyo In }}</ref> Jammu and Kashmir's leading English daily newspaper ‘[[Daily Excelsior]]’ termed the book as ‘Masterly narrative of Kashmir conflict and identity profile of Jammu Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Masterly Narrative of Kashmir Conflict -A profile of Jammu Muslim by Zafar Choudhary |url = https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/masterly-narrative-of-kashmir-conflict-and-identity-profile-jammu-muslims/|website = Daily Excelsior}}</ref> The Friday Times of Lahore said ‘Zafar’s book in itself is the first of its kind, as successive historians only made passing references to the Jammu massacre. Its launch kick-started a fresh debate around the subject’.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Zafar Choudhary -The Tragedy of Jammu Muslim|url =https://www.thefridaytimes.com/the-tragedy-of-jammus-muslims/|website = The Friday Time }}</ref> In an article titled Of the ‘Other’ and ‘Outsider’, India's leading English daily The Hindu said, “Choudhary’s is an important work which will, I hope, help in addressing the impressions of Muslims of [[Jammu division]] that they are taken for granted, that the [[government of India]], and the world, seeking to bring to final resolution the conflicts that have plagued the state of J&K over the last century, seek primarily to determine simply the views of different sections of the community residents in Kashmir.”<ref>{{Cite web|title = Muslims of Jammu by Zafar Choudhary |url = https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/of-the-other-and-the-outsider/article7333723.ece |website = The Hindu , New Delhi}}</ref>

Zafar Choudhary won the State Award from the Government of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in 2017 for his contribution in the field of journalism. Besides, He has been awarded by a number of Universities, NGOs for his outstanding work in the field of journalism and research.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://jkgad.nic.in/pdf/award.pdf | title= Name of State Awardees- Zafar Choudhary -151 |access-date=2020-02-09}}</ref>

Graduate from [[London School of Economics]].

* [https://www.thedispatch.in/ The Dispatch website]

[[Category:20th-century Indian journalists]]

[[Category:Indian journalists by state or union territory|Jammu and Kashmir]]

[[Category:Indian Muslims]]