ISLAMABAD, MAR 11 (DNA)- Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, assured that the people and Government of AJK and Pakistan fully support the freedom struggle of the Kashmiris from Indian occupation and the Kashmiris legitimate struggle for their right to self-determination. He also condemned the increasing human rights violations against the Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the victimization and harassment of Kashmiris all over India.

The President – as the Chief Guest – today made these remarks while addressing the AJK All Parties Kashmir Conference on Kashmir called by the Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir at the Markaz-e-Islami here in Islamabad.

In his opening statement, Dr. Khalid Mahmood, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami AJK welcomed the participants and thanked them for attending this very important conference on Kashmir called in the aftermath of the escalations between Pakistan and India, and the gross human rights violations taking place in Indian Occupied Kashmir

President AJK while addressing the participants said that the freedom fighters in Indian Occupied Kashmir, unlike the barbaric Indian occupation forces, differentiate between combatants and noncombatants. Kashmiris are simply exercising their right to self-defence which is enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

President Masood Khan said that the freedom struggle of the people of Kashmir spans over 200 years beginning during the Dogra rule. He said that the Kashmiris in IOK are retaliating in the face of the growing aggression and repression inflicted upon them and are simply demanding their right to self-determination. This movement, he said, is purely indigenous and is spearheaded by unarmed Kashmiris.

Informing of his recent visit to the areas adjoining Line of Control, he said that India has used indiscriminate fire against innocent civilians in AJK. The AJK Government, he said, will provide compensation to the affectees and it has also been proposed to bring all them under the umbrella of the Benazir Income Support Programme.

The President said that first aid facilities have been provided to the almost five and half thousand civilians vulnerable to Indian fire, and bunkers are also being made with to help provide them protection. He praised the efforts of the administration concerned and the State Disaster Management Authority for timely response and diligently caring for the affectees.

He said India had planned to carry out surgical strikes in Pakistan or occupy a post within our territory. He said that India has been given a befitting reply by our Armed forces making it miserably fail in fulfilling its evil plans.

He said that during the recent escalation, the world has realised that war in South Asia will bring the world to the brink of nuclear fallout. It is time that we place the Kashmir issue at the top of our dialogue agenda and we ask the world to step forward help resolve this key issue. He said that in no way is it possible to resolve the issue of Kashmir without the consent of the Kashmiri people.

President said that a new wave of Hindu Fundamentalism is raising in India under the patronage of the ruling party and its Hindutva promoting affiliates like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and Vishva Hindu Parishad.

He said that leaders and the parties in IOK, who have acted as facilitators and enabler in sustaining Indian occupation like the People Democratic Party and the National Conference must not be given primacy over the Hurriyat leadership and others like Shabbir Shah, Assiya Andarabi, Ashraf Sahrai and Musarrat Alam Butt who have consistently resisted Indian occupation and demanded the right to self-determination for the people for Kashmir.

Shah Ghulam Qadir, Speaker Legislative Assembly said that we must focus on the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He informed that the AJK Legislative Assembly recently concluded a special session on the current situation in IOK, Line of Control and the escalation between Pakistan and India, in which all the AJK political parties unanimously approved the resolution condemning the recent aggression by India.=DNA