New Delhi, Nov 9: Kashmiri convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, sentenced by an Indian court to be hanged for his alleged role in the 2001 attack on the Parliament House, has accused India and Pakistan of using Kashmiri youths as pawns, his supporters said on Thursday.

In a detailed mercy plea for remission of his death sentence filed before President A P J Abdul Kalam, he recalled those "heady" days when thousands of youth in Kashmir left the comfort of their homes, the security of their future jobs and gave up their dreams in order to join the armed movement.

"I joined the movement and went across to Pakistan. However, I was greatly disillusioned by the fact that both India and Pakistan were using the Kashmiri youth as pawns in their respective politics. In 1993-94, I surrendered to the Border Security Force," said Afzal, who was then a first year medical student in Kashmir.

Afzal said like many other youths in the valley, he too was inspired by Libyan director Mustafa Akkad's hit movie 'Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert', played by Anthony Quinn, which depicted the story of a teacher who fought for the liberation of his people and was hanged.

"I do not think that the attack on Parliament served the cause of the Kashmiri people and I am genuinely sorry for the family members of those who died doing their duty," he added.