November 29, 2001
An all parties round-table conference of AJK political parties on Thursday called upon the world coalition against terrorism to force India to implement United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.
Speaking by telephone from Srinagar, All Parties' Hurriyet Conference Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhatt said India and Pakistan must take steps to reach a political settlement of the Kashmir issue to pave the way for peace in South Asia and give a chance for progress and prosperity to the people.
He said the fears attached to the security of the region could only be removed when both the countries decide to end hostilities towards each others. Former chairman of the APHC, Syed Ali Gilani, said India was committing serious violations of human rights in held Kashmir and it had enforced black laws like "Poto" to crush the movement. "Unfortunately the world community has failed to fulfil its responsibilities towards settlement of Kashmir crisis."
He said: "We will continue our struggle without caring whether the world supports our movement for the right of self-determination." A joint communique released at conclusion of the day-long deliberations on "state terrorism and the world community" demanded that the government should launch a campaign to foil the Indian propaganda against Kashmir liberation movement.
Declaring complete unanimity with the Jammu and Kashmir people, the conference expressed determination to continue the struggle till its logical objectives were achieved. It also demanded the setting up of a war crimes court to try Indian leaders and army personnel involved in war crimes in held Kashmir and punish them. The communique lauded the statements of UN commissioner for human rights, UN observers group chief and European Union prime minister condemning the extreme human rights violations in Kashmir and the Indian terrorism unleashed on the Kashmiris. It, however, took serious notice of the statements attributed to the US ambassador to India and British defence minister and expressed its regrets on them.
The conference, while strongly condemning the Indian state terrorism and human rights violations, drew attention of the humanity and democracy loving world towards the situation. It strongly condemned the newly enforced anti-terrorism law 'Poto' in Kashmir. It also demanded immediate release of all detained Kashmiris jailed across the country and the state.
Federal Kashmir Affairs Minister Abbas Sarfaraz Khan said that as many as 79,000 Kashmiris had laid down their lives in the freedom struggle during the last decade while India, claiming to be the largest democracy in the world, continued to suppress the struggle. He said the promulgation of Poto was the worst example of the suppression. He expressed the hope that the Kashmiris' struggle for liberation would bear fruit. He advised the Kashmiri leadership to work unitedly for the movement instead of resorting to leg pulling.
He expressed confidence that the US would press India to come to terms on resolution of the issue through dialogue with Pakistan.
AJK President Sardar Anwar Khan said that a "Kashmir Committee" was being set up to work more actively for raising the issue on the international fora. He said the president of Pakistan had given his nod in this connection.
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