LAHORE, Sept 5: Justice Afrasiab Khan (retired), a former member of the National Kashmir Committee, has taken strong exception to Indian deputy prime minister L K Advani’s remarks that the recent terrorist activity in India (Mumbai) and the occupied Kashmir can affect the peace process with Pakistan.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he said Advani’s words showed that condition prevailing in the occupied Kashmir was not normal and the people were spending restless nights. “The reason for this situation is obvious because their lives, honour and property are not safe.”

Massacre, torture, kidnapping of children and gang-rape of women have become order of the day. He said over 90,000 people of Kashmir had been killed during the past 15 years of their resistance movement. More than 100,000 children had been orphaned, 20,000 women widowed and hundreds of thousands of houses, shops, schools and mosques and khanqahs destroyed, he said.

“If India wants normal situation in Kashmir, it must withdraw its troops, stop atrocities and give people their right to self-determination to decide about their future,” said the former justice.

It was in the interest of India, Pakistan and Kashmiris and, of course, the world peace that the Kashmir issue should be settled amicably. Resuming a dialogue could be the step in the right direction, he added.