Kashmiris’ involvement in Pakistan-India dialogue imperative: AJK president

Masood Khan says UN-sponsored plebiscite the most preferred route to resolving Kashmir conflict

MUZAFFARABAD:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Sunday said that inclusion of the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in the dialogue process between Islamabad and New Delhi for a just solution to the Kashmir conflict is imperative.

“It is not possible for India and Pakistan to take any decision regarding Kashmir without the participation of Kashmiris or any decision to be taken in Washington by keeping Kashmiris uninformed, or even holding a debate on Kashmir in the UN Security Council without making the representatives of Kashmiris a part of it,” he asserted.

In an interview with a private TV channel, the AJK president said that Pakistan recognises what we are saying or demanding with regard to the involvement of Kashmiris in the dialogues process to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Read more: IIOJK people facing a severe health crisis, PTSD: Masood

While saying that UN-sponsored plebiscite is the most preferred route to resolving the conflict, President Masood argued that Kashmiris are central to the resolution of the Kashmir conflict as they are the primary party and their involvement is essential for finding a lasting solution to the conflict.

Terming systematic bloodshed and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiris in IIOJK as war crimes and crimes against humanity, He held the Indian government, the ruling party BJP, extremist organisation RSS, and the Indian army responsible for these crimes.

"The 900,000 Indian troops are killing unarmed civilians especially the youth in fake encounters every day, grabbing Kashmiris’ land and settling Hindu citizen transferred from India. In the last year, more than 3.2 million non-Kashmiris have been settled in the occupied territory and thus India has launched not only a military but also a population invasion to change the demography of the region," he added.

“All these crimes committed by India are in fact war crimes and crimes against humanity for which the Indian government and its army should be held accountable and brought before the war crimes tribunal," he further said.

Also read: India’s rapprochement bid aimed at validating illegal actions: Masood

The state president said that Jammu and Kashmir is a region with a population of 20 million people who have to decide their own destiny and their own future through a referendum suggested and recognised by the Security Council of United Nations in many of its resolutions.

He said in 2018-2019, the UN Commission on Human Rights in its two reports reiterated that the right of Kashmiris to self-determination is inevitable and India is bound to respect this right of Kashmiris.

Masood said we are also thankful to Pakistan for boldly declaring not to hold talks or establish trade relations with India until it restores the disputed status of IIOJK and reverses the actions of August 5, 2019.

These Indian actions, he pointed out, were taken in violation of international law, bilateral agreements, and the commitments made with the people of Kashmir.