Thread by @DisinfoLab

The Kashmir Narrative is controlled by a set of US/UK- based ‘Kashmiris’ who make a living off Kashmir conflict. Since about 2015-16, the ‘family business’ is being passed to the next gen with the help of Pak establishment, & vested interests.

A Thread:

thedisinfolab.org/kashmir-inc-a-…

The story is divided into 5 parts: i) Next Gen ‘activists’; ii) the family business; iii) the US angle – mysterious tourists, CIA operatives & Politicians; iv) the fake narrative; and v) the Turkish angle. The recent changes start in 2016.
(2/n)

3 developments take place by 2015/16:

Tightening of FCRA in India: foreign funding fell by INR 11,274 Cr.

Pak Senate Report: envisages lobbying to change Kashmir narrative against India;

NGOs with ‘White Experts’/‘activists’ pop up in US, critical of India’s ‘failings’. 3/n

The ‘experts/activist’ include CJ Werleman, Audrey Truschke, Haley, McIntyre; & orgs like Polis Project; Equality Labs, KKRF etc. In UK alone six new orgs. registered since 2016 by just one guy - Muzzammil Thakur (s/o Ayyub Thakur) the face of ‘new age’ Kashmiri activist!
4/n

Muzzamil born in Saudi & lived in London. His love for Kashmir rekindled by two events – his marriage to Shaista Safi (d/o Ghulam Safi APHC convener removed by Geelani for corruption); & a patronage of Pak House (run by ex ISI Chief). Shaista is a lobbyist at YFK.
All in 2016
5/n

Muzzammil starts getting space in global media since 2016. However, he has different narratives on Kashmir for different audience.

to Pak Media he talks about “Kashmir being part of Pak” Pak being the elder brother

to international media he talks about ‘Independent Kashmir’
6/n

Muzzammil is not alone.

Many other ‘Kashmiri activists’ come of age: Hafsa Kanjwal, Sameera Fazili, Ather Zia & Sehla Ashai - all living in the US/UK.

7/n

These ‘activists’ set up organizations – Stand with Kashmir, Justice for Kashmir, Friends of Kashmir, Free Kashmir, Americans for Kashmir and so on. They host webinars, carry out social media campaigns. They are then amplified by an organised syndicate.
An example:
8/n

Stand with Kashmir:

SWK comes to symbolize the face of Kashmiri resistance with Hafsa, Fazili, Huma Dar, etc (Experts) & Sehla Ashai (Treasurer). It was set-up in 2019 as a ‘fresh org.’ with new faces. However, as is shown, the front is connected with same ISI run nexus.
9/n

That SWK was merely a ‘facelift’ was also evident from the Facebook page, which was borrowed from Justice for Kashmir, whose first follower & promoter on twitter was Muzzammil Thakur – the new darling activist of Pak establishment.
10/n

Friends of Kashmir

Another activism shop set up by Ghazala H. Khan who is associated with Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front (KKRF), alongside Gurpatwant Pannun, from Sikhs for Justice, a Pakistani product. FoK also has links wid IHF, run by Sajjad Burki, President PTI USA.
11/n

Americans for Kashmir & Free Kashmir:

Aejaz Dar s/o Md Akram Dar, registrant of SWK also founded Americans for Kashmir. Free Kashmir is a project of Justice for All, a Jamaat-e-Islami front, having linkages with terror groups & run by Abdul Malik Mujahid.
12/n

The next-gen 'activists' controlling the Kashmir narrative are progenies of yester-generation ‘activists’, groomed in best US institutes, but no worthwhile experience of Kashmir. Their parents had moved to developed world and set up shops facilitated by ISI agent Fai.
13/n

Both Hafsa & Sameera (Dy Dir, EC in Biden Admin) are respectively niece & daughter of Yousuf Fazili (Kashmiri American Council – a Fai front).

Their another uncle Rauf Fazili was with J&K Bank, a partner org of Hafsa's KashmirCorps since 2007.
14/n

Likewise, Aejaz Dar’s father Akram Dar was Dir. KAC, a Fai Front. Muzzammil’s father a close friend of Fai, who helped him settle in Saudi & later in UK. Fai, Ayyub & SIMI founder Abdullah Siddiqi are key players to set up Kashmir centric/ anti-India orgs in US/UK in 90s.
15/n

Fai the Fulcrum

The parents of new-gen 'activists' were all associated with Fai’s Kashmiri American Council. Fai, an ISI Agent, was arrested by FBI in 2011 & released in 2013, but kept low till 2015/16, after which he was rehabilitated by Pak leaders – PM IK & FM Qureshi.
16/n

Mysterious US ‘activists’:

Starting 1989; & in succession, 3 American ‘tourists’ arrive in India – Edward Hasbrouck, Carin Fischer & Danielle Cyr. All 3 later turn into ‘activists’ - all critical of India.

There is no trace of these women prior to appearance in India!
17/n

Carin and Danielle marry Indians, gaining eligibility to visit/stay in Kashmir, otherwise off limit for foreigners. Carin chooses to live near India – Pakistan border. Eventually Carin was hired By Pakistan for lobby where Danielle also joins her.
18/n

CIA operatives:

Lobbyists hired by Pak include former CIA Station Chief in Islamabad – Robert Grenier (2021 by Iftikhar Durrani, Spl Advisor to IK).

Earlier, ex-CIA operative Robin Raphel (posted in Pakistan in 1970s) grabs $1.5m contract for lobby firm Cassidy & Ass.
19/n

US Politicians

Pak hires US lobbying firms with millions of $ to buy ‘concerns’ over Kashmir. Pramila Jayapal has expressed such concerns b/w June-Dec 2019, and introduced a resolution on Kashmir in Dec 2019.

20/n

Same duration when lobbying firm Holland & Knight’s contract with Pakistan is running. H&K mentioned Jayapal as one of the politicians ‘approached’.

21/n

US-based Pak agents – Ehtesham Ashai & Majid Butt have been running ‘cash for tweet’ scheme for US politicians – Ted Liu, Steve Watkins, Brad Sherman, Jim Costa. Cant be conformed but they seem to be charging $1000 per tweets.

22/n

Europe

Two others named by FBI in the Fai’s ISI nexus were Nazeer Ahmad Shawl (UK) & Abdul Mazid Tramboo (Brussels), who along with another Pakistani agent Parwaj Iqbal Losar, engages freely with European politicians and extract ‘concerns’ on various issues for Euro10-25 k.
23/n

The UK:

The All Party Grp of UK, led by Debby Abraham tours Pakistan on a trip ‘fully-sponsored’ by Pak, where they get very concerned about Kashmir. The other concerned individuals could be identified by the demographic profile of their electorate.

24/n

The Lord:

A key HR ‘advocate’ for Kashmir is former Lord Nazeer Ahmed: who is seen routinely with Fai and also a regular at Kashmir events glob

Ahmed is accused of sexually exploiting Kashmiri women, who sought help from him - asking them to ‘spend a night’ with him!
25/n

Fake News

Despite elaborate info-war machinery Pak establishment still has to resort to fake news to push the agenda of ‘exploitation’, ‘army atrocity’ & ‘fascist India’.

Some habitual offenders include Shireen Mazari, Ali Zaidi, Abdul Basit, & Riffat Wani.
26/n

The Agenda:

keep using the words - ‘repression’ ‘atrocity’ and ‘fascism’ in context of India and Kashmir without any reason and rhyme – from felling of apple tree to any mock army drills.

Repeat.

Then write articles based on these ‘evidences’ in global media.
27/n

Come 5th Aug and efforts to build narrative increases. e.g ‘army atrocity’:

Playbook is simple.

-Random handles start posting 'army harassments' w/o any evidence

-Old news gets recycled

-Influencers ‘express concerns’ over ‘deteriorating situation’.

28/n

The War of Hashtags:

We did an analysis on 19 top hashtags on Kashmir from 2014 to 2021. Interestingly, the ‘concerns’ are expressed only for a day, bulk of which emanating not surprisingly from Pakistan.

(darker the color; more are no of handles from that region’. 29/n

Another Favourite #RedForKashmir

Trended on
5 Aug, 2019 - 1290 tweets
5 Aug, 2020 - 662 tweets
8 July 2021 - 4283 tweets

the handles that trend the hashtags are created just for the purpose

(watch for #KashmirBleedsGreen for fun)
30/n

Continental Shift

Over last few years the center of gravity is shifting to Turkey from Saudi.

UNIW - Turkey’s umbrella organisation for Muslim NGOs is run by SADAT- security provider for President Erdoğan.

FAI is also council member in UNIW.
31/n

Other UNIW members - Shakoor, Al-Khidmat (Charity of Jamaat-e_islami); Islamic Sangh Nepal and T Arif Alvi, Human Welfare Turst in India.

Fai & Hafsa have started appearing in Turkish media events, and Muzzammil Thakur got one his debut events in Turkish media.

32/n

Conclusion:

Kashmir conflict has become family business of The Fais, the Thakurs, The Kanjwals, the Ashais, the Fazilis & the Safis with the show being run by Pak establishment, with help from ‘concerned’ Whites.

Only the Kashmiris are missing from Kashmir narrative.
33/33