June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 26: Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday stressed the end to state terrorism in Indian Occupied Kashmir was a necessary to carry forward the ongoing peace process and for paving the way for a final settlement of the longstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

Speakers at a seminar on ‘Indian Torture in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir,’ organized by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to mark the International Day in Support of Torture Victims, urged India to withdraw its occupation troops from Kashmir and repeal all draconian laws to create a conducive atmosphere for talks, aimed at finding a solution to the Kashmir issue.

The federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Maj (retired) Tahir Iqbal said demilitarisation of Kashmir and end of state terrorism was a must for the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

He said the international community had failed to realize that the Indian army was virtually controlling all the civilian administration in Jammu and Kashmir, and enjoyed the legal, moral and political impunity under the special legislation called Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA).

He said Kashmiri Muslims were facing mental physical and psychological torture but the International community’s response had been unfair and limited, as human rights organizations and media were being declined access to the Indian-held Kashmir due to which only “selected truth” was coming forth.

He said the number of people affected psychologically by the atrocities had risen markedly. He said according to a recent survey, 63,000 victims registered at the Psychiatric Hospital in Srinagar last year as compared to 1,500 in 1989.

The Kashmir Affairs minister said militarisation was being further intensified and Doctrine for Sub-conventional Operations was being implemented since Dec 31, 2006 aimed at breaking the will of the people and dealing harshly even with sympathisers of the political movement.

He said Muslims were being subjected to unjust behaviour all over the world and one of the main reasons behind this was the lack of unity among Muslims. “(The) Ummah should unite and show solidarity for neutralising the anti-Muslim forces and countering the double standards being used against Muslims,” he remarked.

He said that better linkages with international human rights and media organizations were needed for nurturing support for Kashmir freedom initiative. The minister said ethnicity and mutual disagreement prevails even in the Kashmiri Diaspora in Europe and other countries due to which their efforts for lobbying fail to produce tangible results. He said the people and the government of Pakistan were committed to support the Kashmiris and no force can deter them away.

He urged the UN to ensure that its resolutions were not violated in any part of the world.

Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Tajmal Islam, head of Kashmir Media Service stated that international fairplay, justice and equity were missing and a selective approach was being adopted due to which UN resolutions had become ineffective.

Other speakers included Sardar Amjad Yousaf of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, Yousaf Nasim, Prof Muhammad Ashraf Saraf and others.

Nasim Yousaf, convener of the APHC (AJK Chapter) said that the eyes of Kashmiris were fixed towards the peace process between India and Pakistan, with the hope of a peaceful resolution in the near future according to the desires of Kashmiris.

A resolution was passed at the conclusion, which appealed to the international community for playing its role in curbing terrorism and removing “black laws.” It further requested for the release of Kashmiri people illegal confinement and asked India to appreciate and reciprocate Gen Musharraf’s peace proposal.