By TwoCircles.net news desk,
J&K: The Kashmir National Party (KNP) leadership met Pakistani High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and Deputy High Commissioner Manzoor ul Haq in London to discuss the current situation of Jammu and Kashmir.
KNP leaders including Abbas Butt, Chairman, Nawaz Majid, Zonal Secretary General and Dr Shabir Choudhry, Spokesman, hoped that the Pakistani envoy will appreciate their struggle for “united and independent Kashmir,” and would not give in to those whose agenda is to communalise and commercialise politics of Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia, says a statement from KNP.
KNP leaders expressed their concern about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir. They said their struggle is for right of self determination and is not based on religious affiliations. “Our struggle is not for Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir but for all Kashmiris; and we are concerned about rights, identity and future of the entire state and its inhabitants” reads the statement.
They said extremists in the Valley and in Jammu with help of extremists from Pakistan and India have hijacked the agenda of right of self determination, and are spreading communalism and hatred which will not be in the interest of even Pakistan and India. They said they warned Pakistani officials as back as in mid 1990s that “transformation of right of self determination into Jihad and talibanisation of the Kashmiri struggle will ultimately damage Kashmir struggle and create serious problems for the Pakistani society.”
“But unfortunately we were discouraged and condemned for adopting this policy. A number of serious allegations were made against us, but time has proved that our approach was correct and that these policy makers were wrong,” KNP leaders told the Pakistani envoy.
KNP leaders also expressed their deep concern about plight of the people in Azad Kashmir, especially in the Neelam Valley. KNP Chairman Abbas Butt and Nawaz Majid who have recently returned from their visit to the area explained the ground situation in Azad Kashmir. Devastation of earthquake was still visible and no serious effort was made to rehabilitate them.
KNP leaders also presented a set of books written by Dr Shabir Choudhry to the Pakistani diplomats and requested them to “look at the Kashmir dispute from a Kashmiri perspective; and not only rely on official circulars or information presented by the pro Pakistan elements who have their own interest to manipulate information to suit their political and personal interests.”