LAHORE, Feb 28: The former National Kashmir Committee member, Afrasiab Khan, has condemned the Indian prime minister’s statement at the NAM conference that Kashmir is an integral part of India.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he welcomed President Musharraf’s appeal to the NAM countries to help resolve the Kashmir issue by using their influence upon India.

He said contrary to Vajpayee’s claim, Kashmir was a disputed territory waiting for a decision by its people through a plebiscite under the UN resolutions. He said Indian leaders, including the first prime minister, Pandat Nehru, had accepted the Kashmiris’ right to decide their future.

He said the UN Security Council by another resolution passed on Jan 25, 1957, had stated that the state assembly elections were no substitute for the plebiscite. In the light of the UN resolutions, Vajpayee’s claim that Kashmir was India’s atoot ang had no basis.

He also appealed to the international community to support the cause of the Kashmiris for freedom and put pressure on it to withdraw its 800,000 troops from the Valley besides resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of its people.