KARACHI, Dec 9: Chief of the ruling Muslim Conference in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and a former AJK president Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan has called for using the five recently opened check-points on the Line of Control for trade, besides providing reunion opportunities to separated Kashmiri families.
“So far, these check-points have not provided much relief to the separated families because of extraordinary security hurdles by the Indian army, they must remain open to reduce tension between the two countries,” he said here on Friday while addressing a press conference upon his return from Istanbul, where he attended a three-day conference on Kashmir.
The conference, organised by a South Asian NGO, PANOS, was attended by leaders from both parts of Kashmir.
Sardar Qayyum, who had also been the AJK prime minister in 1990s, claimed that Kashmiri leaders in the occupied territory was also in favour of the proposal of creating what he called the ‘United States of Kashmir (USK)’ which, he said, was the extension of President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal about dividing the entire Jammu and Kashmir territory into seven regions.
About the proposed entity, he said the idea had actually been floated by a Kashmiri-American, Farooq Kathwari, three years ago. He had suggested that there should be separate legislative assemblies, for both the parts of Jammu and Kashmir, emerging through free and fair elections. The two assemblies should then form a third assembly for the whole territory to be called the United States of Kashmir.
Sardar Qayyum was of the view that the election for the purpose could either be held either under the joint supervision of Pakistan and India or the United Nations. He recalled that the two countries had agreed to open some check-points along the LoC before the October 8 earthquake, but the disaster expedited the process.
In reply to a question about the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, he observed that the service had not so far proved to be a success as India had not accepted it wholeheartedly. “Our people have submitted travel applications as far back as six months without any outcome so far. Unfortunately, the same is the case with the LoC check-points,” he added.
Stressing the need for intra-Kashmir dialogue, he said if the Kashmiri leadership from both sides continued to meet frequently, this would help in finding a solution to the dispute acceptable to all stakeholders.
Regarding the idea of the LoC to be regarded as permanent border, Sardar Qayyum said that some circles were favouring the same, but it was not acceptable for Pakistan because its economy and defence were linked with Kashmir.
He said that Kashmiri population on either side of the divide never recognised the LoC and always regarded it as a ‘ceasefire line’.
Declaring his party’s support to General Musharraf’s proposal for demilitarisation, he said the opening of LoC check-points was the first step taken by the two countries in this connection.
The AJK leader observed that India had shown flexibility in its stand, that Kashmir was an ‘inseparable part’ of its territory, by accepting the region as a disputed territory.
Ruling out the possibility of postponing the next year’s elections in the AJK, he said that no such move was under being considered at the moment and they would be held on time unless there was an emergency.”
Sardar Qayyum admitted that the state media had totally failed to inform the nation about the scale of destruction caused by the October 8 earthquake. It was the private media that had done the job, he added.—Online