Road to South Asia’s peace passes through Kashmir: speakers

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a national seminar here on Monday said that Kashmir was an unfinished part of the partition of sub-continent and durable peace in South Asia could only be established by resolving this lingering issue according to the wishes of Kashmiris.

These views were expressed by the speakers during a seminar organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Council (JKC) in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The seminar was attended by politico-religious leadership of all parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Information Secretary Nasir Khan Musazai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) KP Information Secretary Haji Jalil Jan, veteran politician Salim Saifullah Khan, JUI-F leader Haji Ghulam Ali, Peshawar District Council Convener Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Advocate Hashim Raza and Rah-e-Haq Party Central President Muhammad Ibrahim Qasmi besides others.

JUI-F leader Ghulam Ali said that father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had a special attachment with Kashmir and declared it as a jugular vein of Pakistan. He said that Kashmir was an unfinished part of the partition of the subcontinent and if it was not addressed soon, it could pose a serious threat to peace and stability of South Asia.

He further said, “Road to South Asia’s peace passes through Kashmir and time has come that this long-standing issue should be addressed as per the wishes and aspiration of people of Kashmir through peaceful means.” He added that the independence movement in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) had entered into a decisive stage and time was not far away when people of IoK would get freedom from Indian yoke.

The JUI-F leader said that if international community wanted durable peace in the world, then it should address the core issues of Kashmir and Palestine first.

Senior constitutional lawyer and experts on Kashmir Affairs Advocate Hashim Raza said that the Kashmiris’ struggle had forced India to approach the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 1, 1948, seeking its help to settle the issue.

The UNSC had passed several successive resolutions including asking for a free and impartial plebiscite to be conducted by the UN, but New Delhi backtracked on its promises and Kashmiris were still struggling for their right to self-determination, he said. He regretted that UNSC had failed to implement its resolutions on Kashmir and this major failure was a big question mark on the performance of the world body.

He said that it was the responsibility of international community and UNSC to implement its resolutions on Kashmir in letter and spirit besides taking notices of grave human rights violations and extrajudicial killing of the innocent Kashmiris at IoK. He added that time has come that issue of Kashmir should be addressed in accordance with wishes of Kashmiri people.

Senior politician Salim Saifullah Khan also expressed unwavering support for people of IoK and reiterated the moral, political and diplomatic support to them.

The speakers strongly supported observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day, which aimed at seeking a peaceful solution of this longstanding issue, and to pass on a pragmatic message to the international community and UN through peaceful means to implement its resolutions on Kashmir.

They urged the international community to take serious notice of the unprovoked firing of Indian forces on Line of Control as they were deliberately targeting civilians, particularly children and women, ambulances and civilian transport, which could not be tolerated further.

They said the use of military power was not a viable solution to address the lingering issue and rather this conflict could be addressed through table talks.

The speakers urged media to regularly highlight the Kashmir issue and atrocities of Indian forces at IoK. They said that world has changed now and people of IoK cannot be deprived of their social, cultural, political, economics and civil rights anymore.