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Kashmir Committee

asks govt to convene

OIC emergency moot

KARACHI: The Kashmir Committee of the Parliament has asked the government to convene an emergency meeting of the Contact Group of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Kashmir issue in Islamabad before the so-called elections in occupied Kashmir in order to inform the world community of the fraudulent polls in which no Kashmiri party or organisation is participating.

This was disclosed here on Saturday by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, Chairman of the Kashmir Committee, while speaking at a meeting with the Sindh Governor Kamal Azfar at the Governor House in Karachi. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah, President of Azad Kashmir. Sarder Sikander Hayat Khan, members of Kashmir Committee Hamid Nasir Chattha, Chief of PML (J), Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi Chief of NPP, Ch Nauraz Shakoor, Manzoor Ahmed Wassan, Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, Muzaffar Hashmir, besides leading businessmen and industrialists including President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Haji Shafiqur Rehman were also present. Later Kamal Azfar hosted a lunch for the guests.

Nasrullah Khan spoke of the evil designs of India against Pakistan and other countries of the region. He said there was national consensus on the Kashmir issue.

He pointed out that Indian claim of holding polls in occupied Kashmir was a farce as all Kashmiri parties and organisations had boycotted these elections.

He said that since the indigenous struggle started by the Kashmiris in Indian held Kashmir in early 1990, India had by now deployed six lakhs troops to crush the struggle who had let loose a reign of terror and were killing unarmed Kashmir men, women and children.

He said the Indian government had enforced its draconian laws in occupied Kashmir in order to suppress the voice of the Kashmiri people and had put thousands of them behind bars for years without any cause.

He said that the United Nations Secretary General had in his report last year again reiterated that Kashmir was a long pending dispute and should be resolved.

Earlier Kamal Azfar, while lauding the performance of the Kashmir issue, said due to their efforts Kashmir was now "a live international issue."

He traced the background of Kashmir dispute and said India will have to solve it according to the wishes of the Kashmiris.

Syed Abdullah Shah said struggle of Kashmir people was now in an advanced stage and would be crowned with success. He said those restoring to violence in Karachi were also damaging cause of the Kashmiri people.

Sardar Sikander Hayat said the Kashmiris would continue their struggle for right of self determination. He said talk of third option on Kashmir issue was a Western propaganda. He said the Kashmiris were waging Jehad against the Indian occupation forces.

On the occasion Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Haji Shafiqur Rahman said they would announce donations for the Kashmir fund on behalf of businessmen and traders of Karachi when Nasrullah Khan visits Karachi Chamber here on April 23.

Others who assured full cooperation for contributing towards the Kashmir fund were leaders of Site Association of Industry, Karachi, Pakistan Jewellers Association, All Pakistan Memon Federation, Prominent industrialists including H Dadabhoy, Jabbar Khamisani, G R Arshad, and others.

Nasrullah Khan and other members of the Kashmir Committee will visit the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) in Karachi on (Sunday) and exchange views on the new initiatives on the solution of the problem of Kashmir with its members.-PPI