KASHMIR POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND CHANGE IN PAKISTAN’S POLICY

Abstract

Kashmir was a princely state, outside the orbit of the united India two major political parties; All India Muslim League and All India National Congress. The level of political mobilisation was considerably lower than in the India’s mainland. However this political isolation was eventually broken by a youth group, the Young Men’s Muslim Association, spearheaded by a school teacher and charismatic leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, graduated from the celebrated institution, the Aligarh Muslim University, created All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (MC) in October 1932. It major objective was to liberate Jammu and Kashmir from the tyranny of the Maharaja Hari Sing. Later on, the politics of united India extended to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. National Conference with its socialist leaning was inclined toward the Indian National Congress due to its ideological affinity and personal relationship (Sheikh Abdullah and Nehru were friends). Whereas