by Aakash Hassan
KL NEWS NETWORK
KHANABAL
Released after more than three months of detention, Chairmain Umat-e-Islami Qazi Ahmad Yasir said, resolving Kashmir issue is the only way forward for maintaining peace in south Asia. He addressed a conference at his Reshibazar residence in Islamabad on Sunday.
Advancing his gratitude to the people of Kashmir for staying firm for the last 113 days, he said, “The strength that people have shown is example and reminder to those who used to ridicule us on the pretext that Hurriyat has lost its support.”
“There are ups and downs in every freedom struggle of the world and there have been in ours as well,” Qazi said, “But right now people should stay firm and follow the calendar from the Hurriyat.”
“The current changed scenario of the uprising, which has been going on since July 8, must not deject us,” he said. “We have achieved several goals during the uprising that has shown a new face of Kashmiris’ resilience and resistance. In the past India would say that protests in Kashmir are only confined to five police stations but this has shown how the uprising erupted in all corners of the Valley.”
Maintaining that key to the peace is resolution of the Kashmir he said, “There might be lows in the resistance but again we will erupt and that too with much power and much more support.”
Over the recent, burning spree of the schools, Qazi, termed this as the hand job of peace disrupting agencies. “Burning of the schools is like chocking our windpipe of our future generation, I condemn it in strong most words.” He urged people to stay as guard to the educational institutes, saying that, “police that claims big can’t save our institutions so it is our responsibility to guard them by our own.”
“Some people are projecting current movement against our Pandit brothers; that is not true,” Qazi said, “They are inseparable part of our society and culture and thus we should all stay together and protect them if they feel any sort of insecurity.”
Terming the talks only solution to solve Kashmir issue, he said, “we advocate the talks but not what happened in past when talks were held for mere diversion. There need to be triangular talks—between India, Pakistan and Kashmir.”
Over the current stretching protest calenderer Qazi said that, “we will have to change the strategies.”
“We are fighting a big economy and it is not easy to stand protesting for longer period, resistance leadership need to discuss and change strategies so that we would remain steadfast in our struggle.”
On the crackdown launched by the state government against civilians across Kashmir, Yasir said that it has only showed the frustration of government. “Mehbooba Mufti should understand that using force can’t kill sentiments of people,” Qazi said. “Kashmir issue is a political problem and it needs a political solution – by delaying that solution India is only prolonging the dispute and it will not keep South Asia in peace. I believe dialogue is the way forward but it can happen only when the situation is conducive for that. Putting people in jail and killing them is not a favourable situation for dialogue.”
Qazi demanded release of all the political prisoners and youth who have been arrested in the last few months, including his activists like Sarjan Barkati and Sajad Hashmi.
