MUMBAI, Jan 20: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik demanded on Tuesday the inclusion of Kashmiri people in the peace process initiated by India and Pakistan and made it clear that no solution which ignored them would be acceptable to the people of the region.

"Let the people of Kashmir have a chance to express their aspirations. We will accommodate security interests of India and Pakistan and they should accommodate our aspirations," said the JKLF leader at a seminar on the Kashmir issue at the World Social Forum.

The need for demilitarization of Kashmir, joint patrolling along the Line of Control and creating more openings for the Kashmiris to interact among themselves was emphasized.

The general consensus was that Kashmir was not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan. Some speakers suggested that as neither side was ready to give up its control and claim, the LoC should be treated as the permanent boundary and the issue resolved on the basis of a federal secular political system.

Mr Malik, who had launched a signature campaign for a peaceful struggle, complained that while de-escalation of Indian troops had taken place along the LoC, there was no let-up in atrocities against the Kashmiris.

"For us there is no de-escalation. Everyday people are being killed and harassed," he said. It was emphasized in the seminar that as any attempt to resolve the issue militarily could plunge the region into a nuclear holocaust, India and Pakistan should "for the time being settle for the LoC as the border."

Opinion

Editorial

GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...
Centre vs provinces
Updated 10 Jun, 2026

Centre vs provinces

The reason the centre finds itself in this position is rooted in its failure to expand the tax net and boost revenues.
Party in crisis
10 Jun, 2026

Party in crisis

THE young KP chief minister must be starting to realise just how thorny a seat he occupies. There has been a flurry...
Varsity woes
10 Jun, 2026

Varsity woes

FINANCIAL crises affecting public sector universities across Pakistan are now having an impact on academic...