KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Hurriyat Conference (m) Chairperson, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Thursday welcomed Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s statement in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in which he called upon New Delhi to resolve Kashmir and all its outstanding issues with Islamabad.
In a statement, Mirwaiz said, “the Pakistan premier’s statement was a source of strength for the people of Kashmir and would encourage them towards carrying forward their struggle for self-determination.”
“While Sharif had shown political maturity and his will to resolve issues with New Delhi, he had also exhibited flexibility toward resolving Kashmir issue and all other outstanding issues between the two countries in order bring peace in the region,” Mirwaiz said.
Hurriyat (m) chairperson further said the Pakistan Prime Minister had presented concrete ideas to make headway in this regard and now “it was time for Government of India to reciprocate to his four-point peace initiative”.
“Sharif’s suggestion of starting a process of peace with demilitarization in Kashmir and initiation of a process of dialogue and his recommendations for regional peace were a clear signal that the Pakistan premier wanted to move ahead with New Delhi with the all honesty,” Mirwaiz said.
“Demilitarization in Kashmir has been a long-pending demand of Kashmiris and Hurriyat (m) had been since long advocating for making it one of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between the two countries,” he added. “The participation of Kashmiris in any type of dialogue process between the two countries over Kashmir was must for arriving at any lasting agreement as Kashmiris were the principle party to the issue.”
Mirwaiz said, “New Delhi had maintained an adamant and a stubborn posture and overlooked realities in Kashmir for the past seven decades and hijacked regional peace,” adding, “it is the responsibility of the international community to come to the rescue of the people of Kashmir, whose rights are being muzzled through brute force and their political, religious and human rights violated.”
Meanwhile, a Hurriyat (m) spokesperson paid glowing tributes to the Handwara slain persons of 1990 and said “it was a pity that no one had been punished for the killings of over two dozen innocent people even after 25 years.” “More than 100 people were injured and around 500 houses and business establishments had been lost to the arson yet people, who talk of peace and dignity of Kashmiris, had failed to provide justice to the families of the slain.”
