UJC rebuffs GoI Kashmir initiative

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Sept 27: Reacting to the Government of India’s fresh initiative to deal with the current uprising in the Valley, the United Jehad Council chief, Syed Salahudin has said there was nothing new for Kashmiris as the agenda reflected New Delhi’s ‘traditional intransigence and stubborn attitude vis-à-vis Kashmir’.
“Kashmir issue is all about the inalienable right, the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the so-called packages do not provide any solution to the long-simmering dispute,” Salahudin said on Monday.
Terming it as ‘deceit and deception on the part of India’, he said rather than hanging around the policy of illusion, the government of India should come forward positively and sincerely to resolve Kashmir once and for all.
“Kashmir as I said is an internationally recognized issue, but India as usual is trying to deceive Kashmiris and the world by presenting the sort-of packages devoid of significance,” he added.
By and large the Kashmiri leadership he said had rejected the initiative and “we believe that there will be no change unless India adopts a rational approach, eschews its self-serving policy and accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory”.
“Let me clear that the people of J&K who have rendered matchless sacrifices to achieve their cherished goal would never compromise on their inalienable and internationally recognized right to determine their political future,” he said adding the struggle would continue unless and until India withdraws its forces from J&K.
Referring to the rights violations in Kashmir he said, “Kashmir stands as the most heavily militarized region in the world where innocents are killed and tortured by the armed forces with impunity”.
He said the troops had unleashed rein of terror by killing more than 100 people in last four months.
Extending support to the ‘Quit Jammu Kashmir Movement’ spearheaded by Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he said people of Kashmir would make all out efforts to make it a success.