Jamil Maqsood26 november 2009 – 19:57

Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri
Brussels:

Chairman United Kashmir People’s National Party Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri arrived in Brussels and he was honored to be chief guest in many Party programs and community meetings. In his public speeches Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri reiterated his determination for non-violent struggle for the restoration of democratic, constitutional, socio-economic, cultural and human rights of marginalized people of so called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Replying to question raised by journalists and community he said that it is unfortunate that civil governments don’t formulate pro-people policies but they also pursue military directions regarding our region. They use to strengthen their governments on the expense of Kashmiri people.

He reminded the gathering that we have had rejected extremism and communalism in the best interest of our people and in the interest of our region at time when nobody had dare to stood against those forces which were spreading hatred among the masses. It is our history and courage that we not only oppose those forces and expose them before our people but we also heralded the world community that these so called warriors would turned into a monster one day. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri strongly rejected recent elections held in Gigitl Baltistan and said that ruling parties in Islamabad have raided and tried to conquer local people, they have announced charming slogans and blackmail them due to their poverty and backwardness.
He said it is irony of the situation that local and indigenous political parties have been ousted from the democratic electoral process. These are fake elections therefore due to irrelevance of local parties the credibility of these elections is not according to adult franchise standards in the world today. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri elaborated further that in a region which is full of natural and mineral resources and has strategic depth and importance in the region is marginalized and people living there are forced to be slaves of Pakistani state institutions and their proxies in political parties. Replying to a question Mr. Kashmiri told the audiences that if PPP led government was so confident the she has served local people, then why all the candidates of GBDA ( Gilgit Baltistan Democratic Alliance ), an amalgam of nationalist political
parties were isolated? And most known leaders of the region were arrested. He told the audience that Gilgit Baltistan are taken by Islamabad under a treaty and Pakistan has lo locus standi to merge these areas into its territory nor she can declare these areas as her constitutional part.

That is why article 370 of constitution of India recognizes Jammu & Kashmir as state and article 57, of constitution of Pakistan articulated that “ The future of Jammu & Kashmir shall be determined according to the freely expressed wishes of Kashmiri people” He emphasized on Government of Pakistan not to pursue military and security agencies while orchestrating development policies in the region but to consider local population as human beings and their right to education, health, clean drinking water, access to state institutions, access to daily needs and commodities as well as freedom of thoughts, freedom of assembly and freedom of region must be protected and guaranteed and all discriminatory clauses which were introduced by military governments in different eras including blasphemy laws must be repelled immediately so that everyone can enjoy fundamental human rights in the country without any fear and harassment.

Meanwhile addressing Party workers at International secretariat Chairman United Kashmir People’s National Party asked people’s Republic of China not to take the advantage of the situation in the region and she should refrain of intervention in these areas in the name of development contracts. These areas are disputed and presence of foreign elements would further deteriorate the whole situation. Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri emphasized on world powers, global civil society and regional human rights defenders to come forward to pressurize these elements who wanted to divide our motherland just to safe guard their own interests.

He reminded both Chinese and Pakistani officials that with safeguarding national interest of the people of former princely state their national interest can’t be saved. The only way forward is to recognize Jammu & Kashmir as country and safety of our natural resources and sovereignty of those resources to the people of that region. M.Ishaq khan presided over the meeting while General Secretary of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) Jamil Maqsood was the moderator.