September 25, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 17, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Pakistan chapter, on Tuesday held a protest demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad against the second phase of ‘sham’ election drama in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

The demonstrators were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans condemning the atrocities committed by the Indian armed forces on hapless Kashmiris, rejection of elections and demand of a plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).

It was the second protest demonstration on the occasion of second stage of the four phase elections in the IOK. The first protest was held on September 16.

Speaking to the demonstrators, the Naib Amir of the IOK Jamaat-i-Islami, Ghulam Nabi Nowsheri, asked the president, Gen Pervez Musharraf, not to discourage the ongoing militancy (Jehad) in the occupied territory as in his opinion India was not going to give freedom without a decisive fight.

He said the people of Kashmir were determined to regain their usurped fundamental right to self-determination as they had seen the result of abortive dialogue with India in the past.

“I pay my salutes and congratulate the people of Kashmir for totally boycotting the election drama and observing a complete paralysing strike in the entire valley to show their unity against the Indian policies.”

Prof Ashraf Sarraf, a member of the APHC executive committee, said the legal position of Kashmir dispute according to the UN resolution was still the same and there was no change in the resolution unless it was implemented or withdrawn.

The UN resolution, which was also signed by the US, UK, Pakistan and India, clearly lays down the disputed position of Kashmir and suggests plebiscite as the only solution to it, he added.

He regretted that the US was backing out of its pledges on pressing India to agree to a solution and instead was discouraging the liberation movements of Muslims. Mr Sarraf alleged that the US was involved in massive terrorism herself in the name of war on terrorism as it was encouraging Israel to crush Muslim Palestinians and Arabs.

“Kashmiris alone have the right to decide their future through negotiations or armed struggle which was given protection by the Geneva convention,” he said.

Another APHC leader, Mir Tahir Massood, condemned the US ambassador in India for his statement that the infiltration was still going on whereas the deputy secretary of state had said that it had stopped.

Mr Massood mentioned a statement of the US secretary of state that the issue of Kashmir should be resolved according to the will of the Kashmiri people.