By NAK
London: In an important development UKPNP a London based organization of Kashmiris has exhorted upon the People of Jammu and Kashmir to support the ongoing political process.
Chairman of the UKPNP Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri has said that, “Elections are part of political process and people of Jammu and Kashmir should support this in order to strengthen and promote democracy and human rights’ adding that ‘elections do not substitute plebiscite and people must not be swayed by propaganda of anti people and anti democracy elements who want to spread communalism and hatred’
He was speaking at a function organized at London to honour the leaders of Kashmir National party, Abbas Butt and Dr. Shabir Choudhary.
Shaukat Kashmiri said, ‘People of Jammu and Kashmir are still suffering from the policies of proxy war perpetrated against democracy and people of the State and under the current circumstances should fully participate in upcoming elections to elect their members that they can help people to resolve their everyday problems’.
He further said that people of Indian administered Kashmir should remember that Pakistani government is not allowing free and fair elections in the areas of Kashmir administered by it and keeping away the people from their basic rights of democracy.
Abbas Butt, Chairman of KNP said those who oppose elections are not well wishers of the people and the main reason behind their opposition is the directions which they receiving from their mentors across the border.
“Their aim is to destabilize democratic process and cause destruction and chaos. These leaders who are opposing elections are not true representatives of the people” Butt said adding that these self style leaders “know if they contest elections they will lose and that is another reason why they don’t want to take part in the elections”.
KNP Spokesman Dr Shabir Choudhry said, ‘Kashmir dispute is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan; and nor it is a religious dispute’. He said those who say Kashmir is part of the Two Nations Theory are deliberately trying to confuse people and communalize the dispute.
Maintaining that there is no military solution to the dispute and militancy has only added to the problems of the people he said the only way forward is dialogue and confidence building measures which will help people to create environment imperative for the normalcy the state.