Daily Times

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan Monday urged the UN Secretary-General António Guterres as well as the Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities on the Kashmir for resolving this longstanding dispute.

“The Kashmiri people will welcome mediation by five permanent members of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General, and some former prime ministers of the UK and Norway for the solution of the longstanding issue,” he asserted.

He made these remarks while addressing an international virtual conference on ‘Covid-19 & Lockdown in Kashmir’ hosted and chaired by Fahim Kayani, President Tehreek-e- Kashmir UK, said a press release issued here.

President Masood Khan said that no durable solution to the Kashmir the issue was possible without the meaningful involvement of the Kashmiri people.

The event was participated by over 15 Members of the British Parliament including Mr Andrew Gwynne, MP and Chairman Labour Friends of Kashmir, Mr Steve Bakers, MP, Conservative, Mr Paul Bristow, MP and Vice-Chair All-Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group on Kashmir.

Other participants of the conference were, Kate Hollern, MP (Labour), Sara Britcliffe, MP (Conservative), Alison Thewliss, MP (Scottish National Party), Richard Burgon, MP (Labour), Jonathan Gullis, MP (Conservative), Antony Higginbotham, MP (Conservative), Marco Longhi, MP, Vice Chair All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (Conservative), Jess Philips, MP, Tracy Brabin, Member of Parliament, Rachel Hopkins, MP James Daly, Vice Chair All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir.

While Ghulam Muhammad Safi, and Altaf Ahmed Bhatt represented the people of Jammu Kashmir in the event.

The AJK president declared that the Kashmiri people wanted a diplomatic solution to the issue, the United Nation owed the main role in it. However, he maintained that the United Nations appeared to have been sidelined, and it was unable to play its role as per its charter.

Khan said that at present the worst human rights violations were taking place at the hands of Indian occupation forces in the held territory.

“This is not a territorial dispute between Pakistan and India, but the global issue because of human rights violations,” he said adding that India through its anti-Muslim vicious campaign in occupied Kashmir and India was marching on the fascist path, and the international community was ignoring its fascist agenda because of its political and economic interests.

He asserted that the imposition of lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 made no difference for Kashmiri people because the lockdown was already in place in occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2015.

Addressing the event, the host of the conference through video link said that the purpose of this conference was to highlight the suffering of innocent Kashmiris who had been living under Indian brutal occupation, subjugation and oppression for more than 70 years.

He said the world was fighting against coronavirus but India was killing innocent Kashmiris.” Now India is committing constitutional terrorism alongside state terrorism by amending the domicile law and abrogating article 370 and 35A,” he added.

Keeping in view this situation Tehreek e Kashmir UK decided that Indian efforts to change the demography of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir should not go unnoticed while India using the “cover of the coronavirus”.

He expressed hope this event would evolve into an effective and efficient movement to end human rights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and bring peace and stability to those who had given countless sacrifices for their basic and fundamental right of self-determination recognised by the United Nations and promised by forefathers of India.

Leaders of All Parties Hurriyet Conference Ghulam Mohammad Safi and young Kahsmiri leader Altaf Butt observed that this conference would play its role in framing some strategy to raise voice against the Indian brutalities.

They said that the entire world was struggling to contain the Covid-19, but India was engaged in perpetrating inhuman repression against the Kashmiri people.

They said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been facing lockdown and sieges for last 70 years and the strife in the conflict area had left a generation traumatized.

Now the battle against the coronavirus had further isolated and scarred the people with little access to help, he added.

TeK President expressed his profound gratitude to the British MPs affiliated with different political parties for participating in the conference and raising voice for the people of Kashmir.