Srinagar, Mar 09 (KNS): Strongly reacting against the statement of UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, that ‘Kashmir issue shouldn’t be pre-condition for Indo-Pak talks’, the incarcerated Chairman of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Shabir Ahmad Shah, on Wednesday termed it “unrealistic”, saying, “It is Britain who is responsible for the disputed nature of Jammu and Kashmir.”
In a statement to KNS, Shah said Hammond’s remarks either reveal his lack of knowledge on the issue or he has “deliberately” made such comments “to sideline a well-established fact”.
Holding the Britain responsible for present political uncertainty in Kashmir, Shah said, “What stops this country (UK) to contribute to the resolution of Kashmir issue when it played role with regard to East Timur and South Sudan. How come Hammond prioritise the ‘onion-potato trade’ over the future of 15 million people of Jammu and Kashmir. Reality is that West and UK have adopted a biased approach vis-à-vis Kashmir issue which is backed by 18 resolutions in the United Nations and is signed by both India and Pakistan.”
Asking Hammond to revisit the history of J&K, Shah said the UK foreign secretary must not shy away from acknowledging the responsibility over the longstanding dispute of the subcontinent.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“Hammond must understand that several wars between India and Pakistan were not over the trade issues but the political one. His statement made it clear that democratic principles apply to only Europe where as the oppressed nations are entirely sidelined and their issues pushed to backburner.”
Shah said during the partition of the subcontinent, more than 500 states of the united India were given the right to accede to either India or Pakistan but the former with its military might annexed the territory of Jammu and Kashmir and “continues its illegal occupation here”.
“The people of Kashmir, since last 69 years, continue to sacrifice their lives for the liberation of their land from Indian forcible occupation,” he said.
Welcoming the talks between India and Pakistan, Shabir Ahmad Shah said we want Kashmir issue to be prioritised in the dialogue process. “It is an established fact that the relation between India and Pakistan will never improve until the Kashmir issue is resolved,” Shah said. (KNS)