KARACHI, June 5: Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, Deputy Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami and a central leader of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, has said that if Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee shows courage, the Kashmir issue can be resolved. “It is India which has always been creating obstacles in settling the issue by avoiding the implementation of UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir,” he said and criticized New Delhi for declaring Kashmir as an integral part of India.

However, the senator said, internal and external circumstances called for complete solidarity among all religious and political parties of Pakistan to defend the country’s integrity.

The JI leader, presiding over the ‘Qaumi Kashmir Conference’, spoke of the horrors of the two world wars as well as of the most recent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq where thousands of human beings perished and thousands other were rendered disabled. Such war-related catastrophes, he said, forced human kind to endeavour for peace and get all the issues through negotiations and mutual understandings.

The conference was organized by the Islami Jamiat Tulaba, Karachi, at a local hotel on Thursday,

Prof Ghafoor observed: “It appears that there is realization in India now that the continuation of Kashmir occupation is no longer possible as more than 0.7 million Indian military and para-military personnel have failed to rein in the popular freedom movement of Kashmiris in 15 years. It is the very realization that forced Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to demand talks between the Indian government and Hurriyet Conference.”

He pleaded for the restoration of complete democratic order in the country, saying that it was beyond comprehension of a military ruler to resolve international issues while safeguarding the national interest. In this context, he referred to the US threat, made by telephone, which had forced Gen Pervez Musharraf, the Chief Executive at that time, to extend cooperation in the US aggression on Afghanistan. Had there been Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif in power, Islamabad would have refused to surrender to the US because, he said, the politicians had to take their party and the parliament into confidence.

It was expected that after October general elections, powers would be transferred to the elected representatives. But Gen Musharraf, instead, assumed all powers which made Prime Minister Mr Jamali to call the general as ‘boss’, Prof Ghafoor remarked.

Senator Raza Rabbani, Deputy Secretary General of PPP, pointed out that during military rule in Pakistan, no meaningful negotiations were held between Pakistan and India and the latest example was the failure of Agra talks. But whenever there was a civilian government, the talks had progressed, he added citing Simla Agreement as an example.

Mr Rabbani, calling for the inclusion of Hurriyet Conference leaders in the proposed talks between Pakistan and India, said that as difficult decisions had to be taken, there was a need for national consensus which could only be possible if Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and those in London should also be taken into confidence.

He was of the view that India should take certain confidence-building measures, like reducing its military personnel in Kashmir and stopping human rights violations, in order to ensure any progress in the talks and make them meaningful.

Mian Ejaz Shafi, Senior Vice President of PML-N expressed his apprehension over the remark by Mr Vajpayee about his quitting politics in case the Kashmir issue was not solved and said, “it smacks bad omen.”

In this regard, Mr Shafi referred to the visit by the American CIA chief, during which he also met President Musharraf, and said: “until we strengthened ourselves as a nation, the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved.”

MNA Kanwar Khalid Yunus of Muttahida Qaumi Movement said that there was a need for seeking Kashmiris’ views because imposing the will of the US, Pakistan or India on Kashmir people could not be justified.

He said that Kashmir issue could only be resolved with the spirit of ‘give and take’ and that political parties should prepare themselves for it. He pointed out that resolution of Kashmir issue would be in the best interest of peace and the people of South Asia.

Dr Arif Alvi, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, traced the history of Kashmir problem and said: “had there been justice in the world, the Kashmir issue would have been solved long ago.”

If India stopped its ongoing oppression in Kashmir, the resistance there would subside, he said. He said that good relations with India could be established only on the principle of equality.

Hafiz Muhammad Taqi, President of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Karachi chapter, observed that the United States was trying to resolve the Kashmir issue by gaging Pakistan’s neck and forcing Islamabad to declare Kashmir an independent state. He termed the US move as part of a conspiracy to destroy Pakistan’s economy.

He supported the idea of involving Kashmiris’ representatives in all the parleys on settling the issues.

Maqsood-uz-Zaman of Hurriyet Conference and Munim Zafar Khan of IJT also spoke at the moot.