‘Kashmir can re-ignite Indo-Pak conflict’
NISAR AHMED THOKAR
Islamabad, July 13: Stressing the need for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute, speakers at a seminar hosted by APHC-M PaK chapter on Saturday observed that the decades’ long old unresolved dispute of Kashmir has the potential to re-ignite flames of conflict between India and Pakistan.
“Kashmir has been the main cause of hostility and animosity between India and Pakistan and this issue in fact caused both the nations to go to war at least three times since 1947”, the speakers said while addressing the seminar, which was held to pay homage to Kashmiri martyrs of July 13, 1931. The conference was attended by senior journalists, civil society representatives and the leaders of political and religious parties from across the Line of Control.
Paying rich tributes to Kashmiri martyrs, speakers on the occasion pointed out that 13th July incident was a unique incidence in the entire Islamic History wherein 21 Kashmiris one after the other offered their lives to accomplish Azan (the call to prayer). Terming this incident as milestone of Kashmiris’ ongoing struggle for right to self-determination they said the people of the troubled region have been struggling for their democratic rights over the past several decades. They said that the years-long struggle and the sacrifices of the Kashmiri nation demand that the leadership should get united for the greater cause saying that the discontent and disarray within the separatist leadership had adversely affected the cause of Kashmir both at local as well as the international level.
Referring to the changing world scenario they said that at this very crucial stage collectivism and togetherness at the leadership-level was must to take the nation out of dark prospects of despondency and pandemonium. Highlighting the importance of broad-based unity they said that there was a dire need that the leadership across the divide (LoC) should retrospect and determine its future course of action in line with the changes sweeping across the globe. “It is time to speak the truth and call a spade a spade even if it is unpleasant”, they maintained. “Policies remain changing however the basic principles remain unaltered”, they said adding that the leadership across the board should sit together and devise a comprehensive policy without compromising the fundamental principles that provide a strong basses to the movement.
Regarding the Indo-Pak dialogue they said that in principle Kashmiris have never opposed the dialogue process between the two countries. “But the dialogue should not be at the cost of Kashmiris sacrifices”, they said.
Expressing serious concern over the Pakistani government’s indifference towards Kashmir issue, they said that the incumbent regime seems over enthusiastic in establishing bilateral relations with India. To the contrary they said that there has been no response whatsoever from the government of India. Kashmiris had pinned high hopes on the newly established government in Pakistan but it was astonishing to note that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whose ancestors have traveled from Kashmir did not utter even a single word on Kashmir during his recent visit to Muzaffarabad. “The Prime Minister did not even mention Kashmir during his maiden speech in the parliament”, they said.
Of those who spoke on the occasion included JI chief Abdul Rashid Turabi, Kahlid Ibraheem President Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party, Sagheer Chugtai of Muslim Conference, Murtaza Durani Press Secretary to PaK premier, Bakhat Zameen chief of Al-Badr, Iftikhar Ahmed Dawat-ul-Irshad, veteran writer and columnist Ershad Mehmood, PTI leader Moin Ahmed, APHC convener Syed Yousuf Naseem, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Tufail Altaf, Saleem Haroon of JKLF, Hassan-ul-Bana, Abdul Majeed Malik, Advocate Pervez Ahmed Shah and several others.
APHC-G convenes meeting
Meanwhile, the APHC-G Pak chapter during a meeting with its Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi in chair paid homage to 1931, July 13 martyrs and said their sacrifices won’t go waste. The participants reiterated their resolve to uphold the mission of Kashmiri martyrs.
The meeting was attended by Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Ishtiaq Hameed, Abdul Majeed, Muhammad Khateeb, Adeel Mushtaq, Pervez Ahmad Shah and Mehmood Ahmad.
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