Chair UKPNP addressed a Press Conference at Brussels

[JamilMaqsood]

Brussels: Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri addressing press conference

Kashmir Belongs to Kashmiri people and we are against division of Kashmir stated by Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri Chairman, United Kashmir peoples National Party (UKPNP) and Secretary General International Kashmir Alliance (IKA) during his visit to Brussels



Today we have invited you to join us at this occasion so that we can share our political thoughts, views, ideology regarding Kashmir in perspective and prospects of changing geo political scenario. This would be our privilege to convey our message, vision and struggle to the world community and particularly people of south Asian region living abroad and Kashmiri people as well.

Today we are at a very crucial juncture of contemporary world political social and economical changes. The entire global paradigm has been shifted and changed. The process of globalization and the role of capital have also changed.

We are living in a world where at one hand the forces of evil, destruction, religious bigotry, and theo- fascism are trying to hijack civil society moments by using religion as weapon against grown enlightenment in general and particularly in south Asian region.

In recent years Asian region has progressed and achieved land mark success to uplift the life standard of the people and to eradicate socio- economic problems, but unfortunately in some countries like Pakistan it is contrary and ruling elite didn't realize how to get rid of daily life problems in the society.


Kashmir belongs to Kashmiri people and United Kashmir Peoples National Party is against the division of Kashmir , whether it would be on religious, geographical cultural, linguistic or the wishful desire of those who wanted to divide our beautiful homeland.

We want peace, prosperity and development in the region, but if someone tries to build anything on the grounds of our slavery and division by using the tools of oppression and cruelty we reserved right of resistance in this regard.

Our mother land, Kashmir consists of 2, 22,808 sq km ( Jammu , Kashmir , Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan), is indispensable. We would urge that Indian rulers should fulfill their pledges historically made with Kashmiri people.

In this press conference I would like to express my political thoughts regarding Kashmir , past, present and future prospects.

We, United Kashmir Peoples National Party since inception stood against the culture of violence and we have pragmatically opposed growing fanaticism, extremism, and theo-fascism not only in Kashmir but all over the world. We knew that this hate one day would cover the whole globe, from east to west north to south and it is witnessed what we have had predicted in early1990, was exposed after sad incident of 9/11.

Due to our constant struggle, the great services and sacrifices rendered by our Party fellows, our constant interventions and participation in almost all International forums made this happen that today military president of Pakistan and Foreign Office of Pakistan is retreating and have abandoned their so called claim on Kashmir by admitting that Kashmir is not their Juggler vein neither they ever claimed Kashmir as their natural and constitutional part. But who will ask them by keeping people of Kashmir slave, deprive, backward, uneducated and without basic rights and necessities, why they are not taking the responsibility of it as well. Pakistani establishment have made Kashmiri people fodder of proxy war. We have been strongly advocating for the rights of Gilgit Baltistan.

Our Party documents are witnessed and our visit to Gilgit Baltistan is also the part of history that at time when the whole region was shaken by the slogans of Jihad we have had condemned it and warned policy makers and influential forces not use religion as weapon for achieving political goal.

In this struggle I myself and my Party workers were victimized by the security apparatus of the Government of Pakistan.

Proposals and formulas given by military president General Musharraf of Pakistan vice versa Kashmir conflict were not more then a trap and bargaining on the natural resources of Kashmir .

In fact Pakistani ruling elite has understood that they have lost their stand on Kashmir and they wanted to revitalize their position disguised in the recent formulas of so called joint control of entire Jammu Kashmir state.

We reiterate our demand once again that as per Pakistani promise Pakistan should quit her armed forces from so called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan and should immediately resumed to the Government of so called Azad Kashmir and to help formulating their own Government. After officially admitting by Pakistani Government that areas under them are not their constitutional part if Pakistan would continue deploy it forces in those areas this would be serious violation of her own stand and confession. This would be noted as Pakistani state institutions enmity towards Kashmir people under their control.

We wish to congratulate Baroness Nicholson for her report as Rapporteur regarding Kashmir, with the title `present situation and future prospects. she is very much respected and vice chair of Human Rights committee in the parliament. I pay tribute to her courage that she showed the cruel facts to the world community. I would ask Pak government that instead of baseless hue and cry on her report they should consider the facts like deprivation, discrimination and so on seriously. I’ m sure many people didn’t go through in the details and started hue and cry against it just to please establishment. That report, is based on very true facts in the light and perspective of Indian and Pakistani stance and constitutional discriminations on both the sides of Line of control. She pointed out that discrimination, economical, legal, developmental, educational and health care in all parts of Jammu Kashmir in a diplomatic language and she doesn’t neglected official stand of the Government of the Pakistan and Government of the India towards Kashmir and those discriminations must be eradicated which are highlighted in that report. And to address real issues which people of Pakistani Administered Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are facing under cruel military regime. There is nothing wrong in the report that in Azad Kashmir local officials are facing discrimination and merit has been bulldozed by all Governments since last 60 years. Even local officials are not being promoted as the head of any department. The sole powers have been enjoyed by the lent officers being deputed by Islamabad .

The recent violation in the Judiciary was so delicate if I would mention that Justice Gilani was superseded because in the past years he took very hard decisions against the cases of illegal disappearances and verdicts taken by him against agencies were unpleased and thus his right of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was violated. We have always been supporting employee’s rights in State of Jammu and Kashmir . We tell them they should give up the policy to confuse local people by their stooges with in Pakistan and Pakistani Administered Kashmir.
Two million people of Gilgit and Baltistan are living under worse oppression, deprivation, extreme poverty and lack of educational institutions, but Pakistani ruling elite always propagated Kashmir freedom movement and they kill the wishes of people for democracy, civil society and basic rights. Elected Governments have ousted forcibly. Military has resumed the policies of former civil governments.
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We have always been demanding and it was our desire that both India and Pakistan should live like good neighbors with peace. We are against blackmailing, proxy war and proxy politics and we condemn all actions in this regard.

This is our principal stand that according to the constitution of Pakistan Kashmir is not their part and parcel and in this regard the status of those areas should be restored immediately, So that the people of those areas could enjoy fundamental rights.

We have understood that in changing geo political scenario it’s needed that every one should play the positive role to end violence and to promote peace, friendship, and brotherly passions among all sections.

We are looking forward towards Pakistani and Indian rulers when they will pragmatically take concrete steps follow up their recent announcements in regard to Kashmir issue.

In this press conference Sardar Ishaq Khan, President Belgium unit, Jamil Maqsood General Secretary United Kashmir people’s National Party Belgium, Sajid Hussain, Shahid Iqbal, Sikandar Abbas, Yasir Younas and many workers were also present. At the end Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri replied to the questions.



Jamil Maqsood

General Secretary
United Kashmir Peoples National Party Belgium

[JamilMaqsood]

An Appeal to the World Community

After first military coup of October 99, General Musharaf had addressed before the nation and pledged with international community that he would carry out such pragmatic steps to curb corruption in the system, accountability of the public and civil administration and independence in the judicial system and elections would be held in due time to transfer system of governance to the elected people in the country. During all these years inflation rate has been raised to the peak, unemployment was not addressed properly and law & order situation was deteriorated every day. Musharaf met and visited United States, European Parliament and other main donors in recent years. He successfully convinced world community that he must remain in power if international community is willing to dismantle terrorist network of Al Qaeda particularly in the western parts of Pakistan and every where in the country.

Musharaf Government was given million of Dollars and Euros for different projects in social sector and to eradicate terror network in the country. But we have been briefing to the world community, human rights organisations, press & media and civil society of across the globe that Musharaf regime has two faces, it is in fact like two edged sword. We have been constantly writing and speaking about Pakistani military establishment policies towards democratic forces in Pakistan. We have had told and briefed diplomats around the world few days back in Geneva and our intervention is part of the record that present military regime in Pakistan was not sincere and honest to fight and curb terrorism in the country.

We have raised our concern military regime dialogue with the extremists fighting with security forces in the North Western Frontier of Pakistan province particularly in South Waziristan and in Swat at present. At pressure of the human rights organization, United States and European Union military regime showed some actions against fundamentalists in the area he ostensibly showed his determination to fight against growing fanaticism in the country.

Musharaf himself promised with different political forces in the country that he will abandon military uniform and he nominated General Ishfaq Kayani as his successor. He is still nominee and he was not sworn in as Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan. Simultaneously Musharaf announced that if he will not be re-elected by the same outgoing MPs he would not remove military uniform eventually the litigation went to the country’s Supreme Court where both federation and other lawyers were arguing in this case. According to senior Supreme Court judge Justice Khalil Ur Rahman Ramday they were preparing to announce historical verdict on Friday but when Musfaraf smell may be court may deliver verdict against his eligibility as military president twice by the same assembly. He immediately imposed martial law and ousted senior judges of apex courts, suspended the constitution to save his skin. And took hard measures against press and media. It is 3rd day since imposition of new martial by Musharaf most of private TV channels have been shut down and cable operators were threatened to stop the news of international channels like CNN and BBC.

Today civil society and lawyers associations in the country have demonstrated against suspension of the constitution and dismissal of the whole judiciary. It is surprising that martial laws have been imposed, fundamental rights including the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech is banned. It’s ironical how assemblies can function without constitution? In this sad scenario we appreciate the statement given by US state department and particularly European Union firm stand against martial law in Pakistan. We do appreciate European Union call upon Pakistani Ambassador to the EU Parliament in Brussels for explanation exactly what’s happening in Pakistan. According to news sources he was unable to answer questions regarding ongoing situation in Pakistan.

We the human rights and political activists of Pakistani Occupied Kashmir and Pakistani Occupied Gilgit Baltistan are the victims of secret agencies of Pakistan who are skilfully involved in intimidation of political activists in these areas. We appeal to the entire world to immediately suspend Pakistani military aid and a fact finding mission should be sent to the areas under illegal Pakistani occupation to monitor socio-economic and political situation in those areas. We do condemn arrest of prominent human rights activist Asma Jhangir and Chairperson of HRCP (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) I. A Rahman. We also condemn the arrest of thousands of lawyers who were peacefully protesting against Musharaf illegal act of Emergency or so called martial law.


Jamil Maqsood
Brussels

[Feanor]

New member. Might want to post an introduction thread in the introduction forum.