LAHORE, Sept 12: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Amanullah Khan has demanded that an the state should be given independence for 15 years before a plebiscite is held to determine its future.

He was speaking at a national Kashmir conference held at the auditorium of Pakistan movement workers trust with National Kashmir Committee former member and Supreme Court judge Raja Afrasiab Khan in the chair. The meeting was held to observe the fifth death anniversary of freedom fighter Maulana Muhammad Azam.

Mr Khan said he had given his roadmap for the freedom of Kashmir to the authorities concerned more than once as he thought that it provided the best solution to the issue.

He said both parts of the valley should be united and their people allowed to have their rule for 15 years after which they should be given the right to decide whether they would like to accede to India or Pakistan or remain independent.

He said neither India nor Pakistan but only the people of Kashmir had right on Kashmir and they alone should decided their future. Both India and Pakistan should realize the ground realities. Neither India nor Pakistan would be ever prepared to surrender any part of the state in their possession to each other. The best solution in this scenario was that Kashmir should be given to the Kashmiris and Pakistan and India as well as the international community should live in peace.

Mr Khan said Pakistan had served the people of Kashmir and had been providing all help to them. Millions of Kashmiri refugees had been settled here. No Kashmiri was against Pakistan. However, the Kashmiris had been criticizing certain policies of its successive governments during the past 55 years.

He said during the talks between the then Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers Z. A. Bhutto and Sardar Sawarn Singh it was agreed to have no reference to the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. Even now, a Pakistani member of parliament during a conference in India had suggested to divide Kashmir in three parts and another MP suggested six parts while talking to Indian MPs delegation recently visited Pakistan.

Mr Khan expressed his concern over the efforts to create rift in the Hurriyat Conference by the vested interests by brining a no confidence vote against its chairman. He said it was a conspiracy against the people of Kashmir and Pakistan.

Raja Afrasiab said Pakistan’s case on the Kashmir issue was that the UN resolutions guaranteeing right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir should be implemented.

He said India was continuing to occupy Kashmir by force and its troops had been killed innocent people, destroying their property and dishonouring Muslim women.

He said their sacrifices would bear fruit and they would get freedom from India. He suggested that the Kashmiris should start a “Quit Kashmir” movement and once India quit Kashmir, the people of the state would themselves decide their future.

He suggested that the plebiscite in the state should be held in three phases: Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit and Baltistan in the first phase, the Muslim majority areas of the Kashmir valley, Rajori, Nowshera and the areas up to the Chenab river in the second phase, and the rest of the state, including Jammu, Kathua and Laddakh in the third phase.

He said India had agreed to a dialogue with Pakistan as a result of the sacrifices of the Kashmiri Mujahideen and the Hurriyat Conference’s struggle. He expressed concern over the reports of differences in Hurriyat Conference and said it was time to unite for strengthening the resistance movement.

Kashmir Action Committee member Justice Sharif Husain Bokhari (retired) said right guaranteed by the UN should be given to the Kashmiris. It was the only solution.

He said UN administrator Sir Owen Dickson had suggested that plebiscite should be on regional basis in the state. Let the people of every region decide whether they want to join India or Pakistan or remain independent. Those opting for independence could decide about their own form of government, he added.

Other speakers included KACP secretary general Col Dr A. M. Mir (retired), Ghulam Nabi Lone, Maulana Shafi Josh, MPA Abida Javed.

The meeting also adopted a resolution paying tributes to the services of former Azad Kashmir president the late Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim. Another resolution demanding implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir issue was opposed by Amanullah Khan and said instead of UN resolutions the Kashmir solution under the UN Charter should be demanded.