ISLAMABAD, MAR 10 (DNA) -: Former President Asif Ali Zardari today declared that the Pakistan People’s Party will host a national conference of all political parties to reiterate the nation’s united stand on the Kashmir issue.

“The present government is wavering and the political parties conference is intended to keep the momentum and build sustained pressure so that the Kashmir cause was not compromised”

He said this while talking to a delegation of the Kashmiri leaders who called on him in Zardari House Friday evening.

The Kashmiri leaders who called on him included Shah Ghulam Qadir, Speaker AJ&K, Rashid Turabi, former President AJK Sardar Yaqoob Khan, former Prime Minister Sardar Atiq, Ghulam M. Safi and Tahir Mashood. Senators Farooq Naek, Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar were also present in the meeting.

Any resolution of the Kashmir dispute must be based on the wishes of the people of Kashmir and the UN Resolutions are a key to it. Any solution without taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiris is doomed to fail, he said.

The former President condemned human rights violations in Indian held Kashmir and the use of pellet guns blinding the youth and called upon the international community to take note of this.

Kashmiris have risen for their rights and their voice could no longer be stifled by pellet guns and bullets, he said.

The former President said that violence and use of force will not resolve anything and the only way forward for a fair, honorable and just settlement was to hold dialogue and take into account the aspirations and wishes of Kashmiri people.

Resolution of Kashmir issue is linked to regional peace and stability, he said.

The former President said that it was grave mistake on the part of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf when he secretly and unilaterally sought to barter away the Kashmir issue without reference to the people of Kashmir and the national Parliament and behind the back of the people.

The reports that in May 2000 Musharaf agreed to ignore UN resolutions on Kashmir came to surface when a US State Department cable was declassified over a year ago under the Freedom of Information Act.

Asif Ali Zardari said that there was no conflict between seeking to normalize relations with India while at the same time remaining resolutely steadfast to the principled stance on the UN Resolutions in resolving the dispute.

Zardari recalled the warning given by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto of the disastrous consequences of unilaterally giving up the principled stance on UN Resolutions without a quid pro-quo.  But responding to such apprehensions the Musharraf regime then had been denying any move to ignore the UN resolutions.=DNA