06 February 2004	Friday	14 Zilhaj 1424

QUETTA, Feb 5: Quetta City government Nazim Abdur Rahim Kakar and APHC leaders Dr Walid Rasool and Ghulam Mir backed the government policy on Kashmir to settle the problem through negotiations to safeguard the interest of the freedom fighters.

Speaking at a rally in front of office of City government here on Thursday, they urged the Indian government to honour the resolutions adopted by the United Nations on the Kashmir issue and stop atrocities against the innocent people in the occupied land.

They stated that solidarity day observed by the people in Quetta proved that people of Balochistan supported the just cause of the Kashmiri freedom fighters to liberate their motherland from the yoke of Indian forces.

Speakers alleged that keeping in view the past record of Indian leadership's betrayal to resolve the matter we are not hopeful of the talks between Pakistan and India but meeting between Indian Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Musharraf in Islamabad was a positive sign to tackle the issue.

They stated that Indian leadership must recognize the ground realities that brutality by its forces in occupied Kashmir could not suppress the freedom movement. Similarly, New Delhi government could not pressurize Pakistan to abandon its principled stand on the conflict.

They said the best solution of dispute was to accept the rights of the Kashmiri people and allow the Kashmiris to decide their fate with freedom without interference or oppression by the Indian forces in order to create congenial atmosphere between Pakistan and India for peace in South Asia.