MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 5: AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir has urged the international community to pressurise India not to halt the peace process in the larger interest of the region.

“Unfortunately, India is trying to pull itself out of the process under one or the other pretext and it is high time the international community steps in,” he said while speaking to a delegation from Kashmir Centre Brussels in his office here on Saturday.

The delegation was led by Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and included member of the European Parliamen, Frank Schwalba-Hoth.

Mr Qadir was of the view that India’s reluctance to carry forward the process was because it knew that at the end of the day it will have to cede something.

“Indians have been buying time for about six decades but now they should prove their sincerity for durable peace in the region,” said Mr Qadir who has been in close liaison with different international organisations since long to work out a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Appreciating President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s bold initiative, he urged India to seize the opportunity to amicably resolve the long standing dispute which has been devouring the resources of both the countries since 1947.

“India is waiting for the time when President Musharraf takes off his uniform. Perhaps they don’t want to deal with a powerful president in Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Qadir also updated the delegation on continuity of political and democratic system in the AJK despite last year’s massive earthquake.

“Despite all odds, we have been able to sustain political system in the AJK,” he said, rejecting the opposition allegations that the election results were manipulated by Pakistan government.

“The elections were not only transparent but also violence-free. We take pride in telling people that there was not a single major incident of violence during the whole process,” he said.

He praised endeavours of the delegation for emancipation of the Kashmiris from Indian subjugation.

“I have been working for Kashmir cause in my personal capacity and now I will use my present position to further the cause before the parliaments of different freedom and justice-loving countries,” Mr Qadir said.