MUZAFFARABAD, MAY 18 (DNA) – The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has regretted the silence of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres as well as the Security Council on the Kashmir issue amounts to avoiding fulfilling their international obligations.

“The Kashmiri people will welcome mediation by five permanent members of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General, and some former prime ministers of the UK and Norway for the solution of this the long outstanding issue provided the Kashmiri people are also made part of this exercise,” he asserted.

He made these remarks while addressing an international virtual conference on “COVID-19 & Lockdown in Kashmir hosted & chaired by Fahim Kayani, President Tehreek-e- Kashmir UK.  President Masood Khan said that no durable solution to the Kashmir the issue was possible without the meaningful involvement of the Kashmiri people.

The event was participated by over 15 Members of the British Parliament including Mr Andrew Gwynne, MP and Chairman Labour Friends of Kashmir, Mr Steve Bakers, MP, Conservative, Mr Paul Bristow, MP and Vice-Chair All-Party Parliamentary Kashmir Group on Kashmir.

Other participants of the conference were, Kate Hollern, MP (Labour), Sara Britcliffe, MP (Conservative), Alison Thewliss, MP (Scottish National Party), Richard Burgon, MP (Labour), Jonathan Gullis, MP (Conservative), Antony Higginbotham, MP (Conservative), Marco Longhi, MP, Vice Chair All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (Conservative), Jess Philips, MP, Tracy Brabin, Member of Parliament, Rachel Hopkins, MP James Daly, Vice Chair All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir.

While Ghulam Muhammad Safi, and Altaf Ahmed Bhatt represented the people of Jammu Kashmir in the event.AJK President declared that the Kashmiri people want a diplomatic solution to the issue, the United Nation owes the main role in it. However, he maintained that the United Nations appears to have been sidelined, and it is unable to play its role as per its charter.

Khan said that at present the worst human rights violations are taking place at the hands of Indian occupation forces in the held territory, but the United Nations is silent over it. “This is not a territorial dispute between Pakistan and India, but the global issue because of human rights violations,” he said adding that India through its anti-Muslim vicious campaign in occupied Kashmir and India was marching on the fascist path, and the international community is ignoring its fascist agenda because of its political and economic interests.

Sardar Masood Khan said that we are not opposed to the Indian people because hundreds of thousands of them have sympathies towards the Indian Muslims, and they are also raising their voice in favour of the Kashmiri people.

He asserted that the imposition of lockdown in the wake of Covid-2019 makes no Kashmiri people because the lockdown was already in place in occupied Kashmir since August 5, 2015.

Addressing the event, the host of the conference through video link and said that the purpose of this Conference is to highlight the suffering of innocent Kashmiris who have been living under Indian brutal occupation, subjugation and  oppression  for more than 70 years.

He said the world is fighting against coronavirus but India is killing innocent Kashmiris. Now India is committing constitutional terrorism alongside state terrorism by amending the domicile law and abrogating article 370 and 35A,

Keeping in view this situation Tehreek e Kashmir UK decided that Indian efforts to change the demography of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir should not go unnoticed while India using the “cover of the coronavirus”.

He expressed hope this event will evolve into an effective and efficient movement to end human rights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and bring peace and stability to those who have given countless sacrifices for their basic and fundamental right of self-determination recognised by the United Nations and promised by forefathers of India.

Leaders of All Parties Hurriyet Conference Ghulam Mohammad Safi and young Kahsmiri leader Altaf Butt observed that this conference will play its role in framing some strategy to raise voice against the Indian brutalities. They said that the entire world was struggling to contain the Covid-19, but India is engaged in perpetrating inhuman repression against the Kashmiri people.

They said that said people of Jammu and Kashmir have been facing lockdown and sieges for last 70 years and the strife in the conflict area has left a generation traumatized.

India’s clampdown disrupted daily life. Now the battle against the coronavirus has further isolated and scarred a people with little access to help, he added. TeK President expressed his profound gratitude to the British MPs affiliated with different political parties for participating in the conference and raising voice for the people of IOJK.=DNA

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