July 28, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17,1423

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ISLAMABAD, July 27: The differences between All Parties Hurriyet Conference, AJK chapter, and Azad Kashmir government deepened on Saturday as the government’s representative failed to meet the APHC leaders to hammer out a solution.

AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan had assigned Haider Farooq the job of reconciliation with the leaders of the APHC.

He was due to meet the APHC leadership on Saturday but he failed to turn up.

The APHC leadership had raised serious objections to the AJK government’s failure in providing the Kashmiri immigrants with the rights of franchise and employment.

It had alleged that the AJK government had failed to play any role in projecting Kashmir issue on international forums.

Pakistan People’s Party AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmud Chaudhry has endorsed the demands of the APHC and demanded their acceptance.

He sent his representative, Swar Khan, to meet the APHC leadership and assure them of his party’s support.

Secretary-general of the APHC, Pakistan chapter, Altaf Qadri, told Dawn that the latest demands by the APHC enjoyed full support of APHC leadership in held Kashmir and added that the grievances were not new.

He said the APHC would not go to any AJK functionary’s office for talks.

Asked why the APHC had demanded replacement of an elected government by a revolutionary council, Qadri said the proposal needed to be further considered.

Meanwhile, organizations of Kashmiris based in London, Washington and Oslo have expressed their reservations over the demands of the APHC about revolutionary command council (RCC) replacing the government in AJK.

A letter has been sent to Sidiq Ginai, convener, APHC, AJK, by Ayub Thakur, president of World Kashmir Freedom Movement, London; Dr Syed Nazir Gilani, secretary-general of Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights, London; Ali S. Khan, executive director, Kashmir Scandinavian Council, Oslo; and Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai of Kashmir American Council, Washington, in this regard.

It said: “The RCC shall be replacing an elected government and it shall be an arrangement extraneous to the constitution of 1974. The vires of your demand are that the government of AJK is trying to deceive the people of Kashmir and we are deeply concerned in this regard. This may of course qualify as a sufficient cause to make a demand for its replacement by RCC.” “We shall appreciate a fuller detail of your concerns in this regard. Does this refer to a potential possibility that Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan and Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan may cause Pakistan to take a ‘wrong step’ or that it refers to an evidence in hand.”

“We are disturbed to note your concern that the local leadership is using the issue as a political tool. A resume in this respect would be appreciated. We would appreciate a comprehensive note on the position taken by Sardar Qayyum and whether he had positioned himself as chairman of Pakistan President’s National Kashmir Committee or as a leader of AJK Muslim Conference in this regard.”

“We understand that Sardar Qayyum was NKC chairman and his presentation at any international forum does not represent the opinion of the people of J&K. If he has assumed to represent the leadership of Kashmir at Organization of Islamic Conference, we concur with your observation that he has breached the principle of due mandate vested in the true representatives of the people of J&K,” it stated.