MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 4: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Amanullah Khan has asked Pakistan and India to give up their claims and let Kashmir emerge as an independent state.

Speaking at a public meeting held at Upper Addah under the aegis of JKLF to mark Oct 4 as “Independent Kashmir Day”, he said that both Pakistan and India should give up their claims over Kashmir and let it emerge as an independent state with a federal, democratic and secular form of government.

He said: “Whether India, Pakistan or the United States like it or not, Kashmir will become an independent state.”

Settlement of Kashmir was a must, but unfortunately it could not be achieved either through war or dialogue, he said, adding that the only solution to it was the reunification of the divided Kashmir and making it a fully independent country having friendly ties with both Islamabad and New Delhi.

He claimed: “This solution guarantees ‘existence’ of the two nuclear states without hurting their egos and ideologies, and without further bloodshed, mass migration and communal disturbance.”

He criticized the state-run electronic media in Pakistan for boycotting coverage of the JKLF activities and said: “We make it clear that well wishes for Pakistan and its people is part of our ideology.”

The venue was decorated with JKLF flags and various banners inscribed with slogans supporting independent Kashmir.

The activists shouted slogans “Independence, dear than life”, “This country belongs to us, we will fight for it, we will take decision about it and we will rule it.”

The JKLF chief also led a rally to the United Nations Military Observers’ office in the AJK capital, where he delivered a memorandum.

“We call upon the UN to persuade India and Pakistan to implement the solution (suggested by the JKLF) to the longstanding Kashmir issue, which has kept 15 million Kashmiris under continuous agony for the past 55 years and has been eating up the economic vitals of both the countries, besides posing a constant threat to the world peace,” the memorandum said.