Kashmiri leaders urge New Delhi to resume peace talks with Islamabad

AJK president says Kashmir conflict has become an issue for Indian Muslims, Pakistan due to Modi’s anti-Muslim agenda

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri leaders across the Line of Control (LoC) have urged the governments of Pakistan and India to resume dialogue aimed at bringing sustainable peace and security in South Asia.

These views were expressed by speakers at a conference titled “Kashmir Freedom Struggle and Challenges”, jointly organised by Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) and Tehreek-e-Kashmir (TeK) United Kingdom (UK) at the Kashmir House in Islamabad on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan stressed upon the need to approach the overseas Kashmiris for the projection of Kashmir cause and exposing India’s state terrorism in the occupied valley.

“The third generation of Pakistanis and Kashmiris settled in the UK and Europe must be approached for highlighting the Kashmir cause at international level,” he said.

Kashmir struggle is not terrorism: Masood

Khan added the Kashmir conflict has now become an issue for Indian Muslims and Pakistan as well due to Modi government’s anti-Muslim agenda.

JKSM chairman Altaf Bhat said that harassment of the families of political workers and other social activists at the hands of Indian forces is unfortunate. He also deplored travel restrictions on Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yaseen Malik and Zafar Akbar Bhat.

Bhat demanded an end to censorship imposed on media by the Indian government, including frequent shut downs of internet services to stop people from taking to social media.

A resolution was also passed by the summit, extending solidarity with the family members of political workers who were either martyred or sent to jail by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Indian troops martyr another youth in occupied Kashmir

Through the resolution it was also demanded that all political leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Asiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Dr Qasim Fakhtu and Mussarat Alam among others are released at the earliest.

The resolution demanded an end to the ban imposed on Jammu and Kashmir Jamaat-e-Islami (JKJI) , Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and an immediate release of JKJI chief Dr Abdul Hameed Fayaz, JKLF chief Yaseen Malik and others.

“World community and human rights organisations must take notice of the youngest pellet-gun victim Hibba Nisar, an 18-month infant who was injured by the pellets fired by the Indian troops on her face.

“This conference also denounces continued ceasefire violations on the Line of Control by the Indian forces, targeting civilians and unarmed people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We appeal to the world community to put pressure on New Delhi to stop the targetted killing of civilians,” the resolution further read.