India, Pakistan must take steps to resolve Kashmir: Mirwaiz

Srinagar: Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday said that Government of India (GoI) should shun the approach of force towards Kashmir instead deal with the dispute in a political manner to resolve it.

Addressing the Friday congregational gathering at the historic Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz said that Govt of India’s policies like the issue of highway ban that is causing tremendous problems for people on a daily basis and leading to a humanitarian situation is totally “anti-people” and “anti-Kashmir” move causing both physical and psychological stress among the people. Such repressive measure adopted towards the people in Kashmir adds up the people’s anger against the rulers, he said in a statement.

“The fact remains that even after the passage of seven decades, the Kashmir dispute continues to remain a reality with India and Pakistan as parties to the dispute while the presence of United Nations Military Observers Group in Indian and Pakistan continues and more or less every county on the globe calling on India and Pakistan to address the issue,” Mirwaiz said adding that the recent UN’s Human Rights report is also an indication of how the world sees this issue and how the world body wants to put an end to the graph of “human rights violations” in Kashmir and call for a political settlement to this issue.

Mirwaiz suggested GoI to instead choose the path of engagement for the peaceful settlement of the lingering Kashmir dispute for the larger interests of people of entire south Asia. He said that the great inconvenience and losses incurred by both countries due to the closure of air space is an indication of what people of both countries stand to lose as a consequence of belligerence.

He said there is a great need to move forward and create a conducive environment through Confidence Building Measures (CBM’s) that include releasing of political prisoners, youth and Hurriyat leaders booked by various agencies and to reopen all traditional roads connecting divided parts of Kashmir that include Srinagar-Muzaffarabad, Poonch-Rawlakote-Chakandabagh so that a mutual trust is build between the two nations and two sides of Kashmir. He also advocated for the release of prisoners of India and Pakistan lodged in respective jails of both countries.

Mirwaiz said that GoI and Government of Pakistan must take steps to address the concerns of people of Kashmir, win their trust and move towards final and dignified settlement of the dispute.

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