LAHORE: The Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) has demanded breaking all trade and cultural relations with India until it accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory and pulls its troops out of the valley.

It has also sought an all-party conference convened by the government to adopt a unanimous stance on the Kashmir issue like the National Action Plan (NAP) and announced holding a march up to Wagah.

The council comprises about 40 religious parties, banned outfits and a couple of political has-beens like Ijazul Haq (son of ex-army dictator Gen Zia) and Sheikh Rashid of Lal Haveli fame.

Briefing the media after a meeting of the council’s steering committee here on Sunday, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said the committee was unanimous in the demand of cutting off all trade and cultural pacts with India.

The committee stressed upon the government to convene a meeting of all political and religious parties before the Parliament session fixed on August 9 to evolve a unified stance on Kashmir. It deplored that when the Kashmiris were drawing the world attention to Kashmir, the Pakistan government was nullifying the same by talking of friendship with India.

The committee also called for appointing a full-fledged foreign minister and adopting an effective foreign policy.

Mr Baloch announced all the parties in the DPC would hold a march from Lahore city up to Wagah on July 31. Later, a Kashmir caravan and Kashmir Conference would be held at Karachi on August 14.

Condemning the fresh statement of the Indian foreign minister, Mr Baloch said if India did not give up its stubbornness on the issue, not only Kashmir but 27 other states within India would win their freedom from the Indian occupation.

He condemned the silence of the UN, European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) on the atrocities of the Indian forces in Kashmir. He said Indian troops were violating human rights in the valley but the so-called human rights bodies were silent on the issue. Those attending the meeting included Hafiz Abdur Rahman Makki (JuD), Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Ropari (Jamaat Ahle Hadith), Sohaib Khan, Qari Yaqub Sheikh, Abdur Rauf Farooqi (JUI-S), Syed Haroon Gilani and Muhammad Ali Yazdani.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2016