Hundreds rally in Muzaffarabad against MFN status to India

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Nov 25: Hundreds of people from different walks of life rallied in Pakistan administered Kashmir’s capital city Muzaffarabad on Friday to show their resentment over Gilani led Government’s decision of granting MFN status to India.
 The rally was jointly organised and attended by the members of political and religious parties of the region including Jammat-e-Islami, Pakistan Muslim Leage-N, Jamiat-u-Dawa, Liberation League and several others. Marching through the main roads of the city, the participants raised slogans in favour of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and demanded the Government of Pakistan to revisit its decision.
 Speakers on the occasion expressed their serious reservations and apprehensions regarding the federal cabinet decision and said that the move would adversely affect the years-long political struggle of the people of Kashmir. They maintained that granting most favoured nation status to India without resolving the issue of Kashmir was not only detrimental for Kashmir cause but it was against Pakistan’s principled stance over the issue.
  “There should be no trade with India unless the long-pending dispute was resolved in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations. Government should revoke its decision. The MFN status to India would tantamount to causing huge injustice to the people of Kashmir who have rendered tremendous sacrifices for last several years,” the speakers said.
 Terming Kashmiris’ struggle as legitimate one, the speakers on the occasion urged the international community to discharge its moral and legal responsibilities to get the Kashmir issue resolved peacefully to ensure peace and prosperity in south Asia.
 Among those who spoke on the occasion included PML-N legislator Barrister Iftikhar Gilani, JI leader Nazir Ahmed Shah, Abdul Aziz Alwai. .
 Pertinently three hour symbolic strike was observed in the region against the granting of MFN status to India. eThe enraged protesters burnt tyres and blocked main road of the city for a couple of hours.

PaK cabinet endorses trade ties with India

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Nov 25: The Pakistani administered Kashmir cabinet while endorsing the Pakistani government’s recent decision of granting MFN status to India termed it as a significant step towards regional peace, prosperity and welfare of the masses of the two countries.
 “The decision will have far reaching consequences for regional peace, prosperity and the welfare of the people of both India and Pakistan”, the PaK cabinet through a unanimous resolution resolved during an extraordinary meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Chudhary Abdul Majeed in Muzaffarabad on Thursday.
  The cabinet meeting also reiterated their full support to Kashmiris’ cause for right to self-determination and said that the people and the government of region would lend all support to their Kashmiri brethren until they achieve their cherished goal. The meeting also took serious note of what they called the worsening human rights situation in Kashmir and appealed the international community to play its effective role to stop gross violation of human rights allegedly perpetrated by Indian troops in Kashmir. “The world community should play its much needed role to settle the lingering dispute to the satisfaction of Kashmiri people who have been struggling for a just cause for last several decades,” they stated.
 Terming the PM Gilani and Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh’s recent meeting at Maldives as a significant development, the cabinet meeting expressed the hope that it will pave a way for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
  The cabinet also reposed their trust and confidence on the leadership of PaK premier and expressed satisfaction over the initiation of mega projects in the region.

PPP Govt to host APCK in Muzaffarabad

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Nov 22: The Prime Minister of Pakistani administered Kashmir Chaudhary Abdul Majeed has said his government would be hosting an All Parties Conference on Kashmir (APCK) in Muzaffarabad to evolve a joint mechanism besides forging broader consensus on the issue of Kashmir.
 “At this very critical stage there is a dire need that all political parties from both sides of line of control (LOC) should have a unanimously agreed agenda and broad-base consensus on the issue of Kashmir so as to move collectively towards the final settlement of the lingering dispute,” Chaudhary said talking to a delegation of Kashmir Journalist Forum who called on him at Kashmir House here on Tuesday.
 Chaudhary was of the view that the APKC would be best platform wherein the political leadership across the divide can be able to share their wisdom. He said that the political leadership of all shades of opinion would be invited in the conference.
 Reiterating his party’s stance, the PaK premier said there was no change whatsoever in its Kashmir policy.  He said he was in touch with Hurriyat leadership and maintained that joint and co-ordinated efforts were being made to achieve the cherished goal.

MFN status to India detrimental for Kashmir cause

Pak government urged to revisit its wisdom

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Nov 16: Speakers at a seminar hosted by Hurriyat Conference (M) Pak Chapter on Wednesday urged the Gilani led coalition government of Pakistan to review its decision of granting Most Favoured Nation status to India.
The seminar titled “Kashmiris’ freedom movement and responsibilities” was attended by the leaders hailing from both sides of the Line of Control including the Prime Minister of Pakistani administered Kashmir (PaK) Chudhary Abdul Majeed, president Sardar Yaqoob Khan, PPP—(PaK) president Khalid Ibraheem Khan, newly elected legislator Farzana Yaqoob, Sageer Chughtai of MC, JI Secretary General Mehmood ul Hassan, APHC convener Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Syed Yousuf Naseem, Majid Malik and others.
Expressing their resentment over the PPP government’s decision, speakers said that the decision was not only harmful for Kashmir cause but it was against the Pakistan’s vital national interest. They said that the incumbent regime should revisit its wisdom and reassert its traditional policy on the issue by lending all support to Kashmiris’ ongoing peaceful struggle for right to self-determination.
 The PaK premier Abdul Majeed Chudhary while reiterating his party’s stance on Kashmir, said that PPP was committed to Kashmir cause. He said that he won’t betray the people of Kashmir and the Kashmiri martyrs’ mission. He made it clear that PPP would stick to Zulfikar Ali Bhutoo’s political philosophy who he said had announced to “fight a thousand year war on Kashmir with India.” Regarding the Kashmiri leaders reservations and apprehensions over the issue of granting MFN status to India Chudhary assured the selected gathering that he would take up the matter with central leadership and would accordingly convey apprehensions of Kashmiri people to the central government.
Pak president Sardar Yaqoob while paying eulogizing tributes to martyrs’ of Jammu and Kashmir said that there would be no compromise on Kashmir whatsoever.
Newly elected legislator Farzana Yaqoob said that there was dire need that Kashmiris on both sides of LOC should evolve a joint strategy to take their struggle to its logical conclusion. She said that the disarray among Kashmiris give wrong impression at international level. “Let us unite and form our own strategy”, she added.
President PPP- (PaK) Sardar Khalid Ibraheem Khan flayed government’s decision and said that the incumbent regime was not sincere with Kashmiris’ just cause. “You talk about Kashmir, they (rulers) are not even sincere to Pakistan”, he said adding that the current ruling elite of Pakistan knows nothing about Kashmir.
Convener of Hurriyat (M) Mehmood Ahmed Saghar said that there was a dire need to have broader consensus on Kashmir issue. He said that dissenting voices emanating from the base camp were a matter of concern. He said that while talking about converting LOC into a line of commerce or into an economic hub we will have no moral justification whatsoever to stop other people.
He said that until yesterday we were demanding OIC to impose sanctions on India. “After granting MFN status to India, does the leadership of Kashmir or for that matter the government of Pakistan have any moral justification to ask OIC to impose economic sanctions on India”, he said adding that there were some important questions we should think upon seriously.
Ghulam Muhammad Safi said that the policy of appeasement had seriously dented the Kashm cause in the past and if this policy of appeasement continued in future it would adversely affect the ongoing struggle for right to self-determination. He said that Kashmiri issue should not be viewed through the prism of territorial dispute between India and Pakistan but it should be projected as an issue of inalienable right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The others who spoke on the occasion included, Syed Yousuf Naseem, Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Muzafar Shah, Altaf Wani, Sageer Chugtai and others”
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Move not at Kashmiri's cost: Sardar Attiuqe

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

  

Islamabad, Nov 3: The former prime minister of Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) and the president of Muslim Conference, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, has said that Kashmiris were desirous of good and friendly relations between India and Pakistan but it was not possible without improving the prevailing human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

 “Granting most favoured nation status to India under the prevailing circumstances is tantamount to lend credence to bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris”, Khan said this while talking to Greater Kashmir on Thursday.

 Terming Kashmir as the major impediment between Indo-Pak relations, he said that both the countries should take effective measures to resolve this dispute for once and all. He said that India and Pakistan have taken several CBMs that include trade and travel across the LOC but one can’t deny the fact that there was no change in ground situation in Kashmir. “There has been no let up in the human rights violations, thousands of people have been killed by Indian army and even today more than half a million military and para-military troops are present in Kashmir”, he said adding that the valley has been turned into a slaughter house for Kashmiris. Under the given circumstances he said that ‘instead of rubbing salt on the wounds of Kashmir’ the two countries should take such steps that would alleviate the sufferings of the people of Kashmir.

 As an important party to the dispute, he said that Pakistan should take into confidence the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). He said that Kashmiris have expressed their grave concerned over the issue and made it clear to the government of Pakistan that Indo-Pak frienship could not be at the cost of Kashmiris’ sacrifices.

 Former PaK premier and the firebrand leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Raja Farooq Hyder Khan, expressed serious concern over the Federal Cabinet decision regarding India and said that the PPP government has stabbed Kashmiris in the back. Terming it as highly detrimental for Kashmir cause, he said that PPP was pursuing the policy of former ‘military dictator’ General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. He said that the incumbent regime befooled the people of Pakistan and took the decision at the behest of Americans just to save their government.

 Terming information minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan’s assertions as a white lie, Khan made it clear that Kashmiris were not taken into confidence on this important issue.

 It may be recalled here that the Federal Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to grant most favourite nation status to India. The minister for information and broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan claimed that all the stakeholders were taken into confidence. He said that the decision would have no bearing whatsoever on the dispute of Kashmir.