NEW YORK, Apr 23 (APP):India’s obduracy in refusing to resolve the UN-recognized Kashmir dispute has become an impediment to creating an atmosphere of peace and stability in South Asia, a prominent Kashmiri leader has said.
“Kashmir has been internationally recognized as a disputed territory since the adoption of the United Nations resolutions in 1948 & 1949,” Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum, told the 44th Annual Convention of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) held in Washington.
“The most tragic aspect of the present situation is the inflexible position taken by the Government of India – its refusal to recognize the internationally mandated status of Kashmir and its stubbornness of parroting that Kashmir is its integral part,” Dr. Fai said while speaking on “Kashmir: its International dimension.’
“Peace will come to Kashmir only when the Government of India abandons its brutal activities and harsh rhetoric and realizes that the people of Kashmir are not the problem, but rather part of the solution,”
Dr. Fai said the Kashmiri people’s calls for self-determination have been brutally suppressed by the Indian armed forces deploying over 700,000 of its personnel.
“These troops have unleashed a reign of terror on the civilian population,” he said, citing reports of United Nations and other internal humanitarian organizations. “In developing economic relations with India, the world powers must not ignore these human rights abuses committed by Indian armed forces”.
Dr.Fai added, “The people of Kashmir urge the world powers to help resolve the Kashmir conflict through dialogue. They seek neither to support India nor Pakistan, but to support the principle of democracy and freedom. They demand to be allowed to exercise the right to self-determination in an atmosphere, free from coercion, intimidation and external compulsion.
“The people of Kashmir firmly believe that if the tripartite negotiations takes place between Governments of India & Pakistan and the genuine leadership of the people of Kashmir – political uncertainty and mutual hostilities raging in the subcontinent since 1947 would be removed and replaced by sincere and lasting friendship, cooperation, peace and progress in the region.”
