LAHORE:  Two eminent Parliamentarians from Europe called for immediate solution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and the Simla Agreement for durable peace in South Asia.

Anita Pallock, chairperson of the South Asia and delegation of the European Parliament and Tom Cox, Member, British Parliament at a joint press conference, declared that India’s brutalities on the innocent Kashmiri, men, women and children had been intolerable and must come to an end.

The MPs announced they would intensify their efforts to mobilize world opinion in Support of the helpless Kashmiris. Anita Pallock and Tom Cox were invited by AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, for having first hand information of the Kashmir situation, they were, however, not permitted by Indian authorities to enter held Kashmir on the pretext of security risks.

They maintained that solution of the Kashmir issue had been delayed too long due to Indian intransigence. They stressed that India must come to the negotiating table to resolve the issue. They said that genuine representatives Of the Kashmiris on the both sides of the Control Line must be invited at such talks.

Criticizing India’s refusal to allow foreign observers, human rights associations and journalists to cater Occupied Kashmir, they said this clearly indicated that Indians had something to hide from the world, The MPs debunked the New Delhi propaganda that Pakistan was providing training to Kashmiri in freedom fighters and as such, was involved in militant activities. They said that Pakistan was only giving moral Support 10 the Kashmir young men who were up in arms against the Indian Occupation troops. They said that even people in Britain, he US and many other countries, were providing moral support to the just cause of the Kashmiris. They said that the freedom loving people of the world could not allow India to continue its atrocities on the Kashmiris endlessly. They noted that the Kashmir issue had been on the United Nations agenda {or the last 45 years without any progress, li was high time that the world conscience awakened on the miserable plight of the helpless Kashmiris.

Anita Pallock disclosed that her 198 strong group in the European Parliament, would hold an international conference on Kashmir in July at which all the major parties Connected with the issue, including India, Pakistan and the Kashmir leaders on both sides of the Line of Control, would be invited, She said she had already invited AJK Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum to the Conference. AL the conference, she said, the history of the Kashmir issue and the present horrible conditions in occupied Kashmir would be brought to fore.

She explained that the major objective of the conference was to disseminate information about the happenings in the valley and to solicit maximum sympathy and support fort he Kashmiris 16 bear pressure On India to come Lo the negotiating table with Pakistan. Tom Cox said that it was the moral responsibility of the world community to compel New Delhi to resolve the issue.

 He said his group in the British Parliament had already proposed to the British Prime Minister John Major that the next Commonwealth Conference, being held in October, should take up the issue. He said that John Major had agreed to the proposal. He was of the view that some independent Country Could be requested to act 85 coordinator for the India Pakistan talks on Kashmir, Questioned if European countries could condition their aid to India’s Stoppage of its atrocities on the Kashmiris, Anita Pallock said that economic aid flowing from European world was already made conditional with observance of human rights. She said that currently, negotiations were under way for grant of aid to India. She said if India signed that condition) European Parliament Would see to it that it observed those conditions.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 21, 1993