September 9, 2002	Monday	Rajab 1, 1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 8: People’s Party Azad Kashmir will organize demonstrations in New York and European capitals to draw the world’s attention towards India’s denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and the farcical polls in occupied Kashmir.

Leader of the opposition in AJK Assembly, Barrister Sultan Mahmood said on Saturday that the Kashmiris settled in the United States would stage a demonstration in front of the United Nations office on Sept 13 on the eve of Indian prime minister’s address to the General Assembly.

Speaking at a news conference at the residence of PPAJK leader Hanif Awan, he said the demonstration was aimed at making the international community realize that the aspirant of a permanent seat in the Security Council had usurped the rights of Kashmiris in violation of UN resolutions.

Mr Mahmood, who would fly on Aug 10 to lead the demonstration, told reporters that he had been organizing the event outside the UN for the past 19 years, with the only exception of September 2001 when the General Assembly session was shortened due to terror attacks in the US.

The former AJK premier said a demonstration would be staged in front of the Indian High Commission in Brussels on Sept 16 when the first phase of sham polls would be conducted in the occupied territory under the shadow of bullets and bayonets.

Similar events, he said, would be held on Sept 17 and 18 in Paris and Berlin.

Mr Mahmood said big rallies would be held in Muzaffarabad and New York on Sept 24, on the day of second phase of the polls.

Elections were in no way substitute for the Kashmiris’ internationally acknowledged right to self-determination, the PPAJK chief said, making it clear that as long as India did not realize the reality peace in the region would remain a distant dream.

He asked India to release the detained leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, withdraw troops from the cities and towns of occupied Kashmir and allow intra-Kashmiri dialogue to pave way for the peaceful solution to the problem.

Responding to a question, he said the US and European countries wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue for their own interests, “but we should speed up diplomatic efforts to get the dispute settled on our own terms and conditions.”

He said that his foreign tour would be the fourth in less than two months in connection with projection of Kashmir issue.

“Me and my party will continue to play our role at domestic and international fronts for the peaceful and early settlement of the longstanding problem in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiris,” he vowed.

He told a questioner that none of the US or European countries had opposed the indigenous movement of the Kashmiris.

“Launching struggle against the oppressor is our right. The problems, however, arise when foreign elements involve themselves in our movement, threatening its basic character,” he said.