No peace in South Asia without Kashmir dispute resolution: APHC
ISLAMABAD: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Sunday said that clouds of war will remain hovering on the horizon of South Asia as long as the Kashmir dispute, the oldest one on the UN agenda is not resolved in the light of UN Security Council resolutions and in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC vice Chairman Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar in a statement in Srinagar terming the Kashmir dispute a major impediment to stability and progress in South Asia said that in order to avert the looming catastrophe, this issue must be resolved permanently on the basis of justice without any further delay.
Gulzar said it is not only a significant bottleneck, hindering the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, but also has a catastrophic impact on the lives of ill-fated Kashmiris who have been subjected to violence for nearly eight decades.
APHC vice chairman said that the Kashmir issue is an Apple of discord and a major source of tension, wars and political and economic instability.
'The present standoff between India and Pakistan has again proved that it is a volcano and, if neglected, may potentially lead to nuclear war in the region,' he warned.
Terming just the resolution of this core issue a prerequisite, he said that the Kashmir issue is not a territorial or border dispute but a human issue relating to the well-being of millions of Kashmiris.
Demanding justice for hapless Kashmiris, he warned that if this volatile issue is not resolved on the principle of justice, peace and stability will remain elusive.
Advocating tripartite dialogue on Kashmir, he said Kashmiris are not warmongers but peaceful people, and they want a peaceful resolution to the issue.
Reiterating that APHC' s principal stand, he impressed upon India and Pakistan to start meaningful, result-oriented, and time-bound dialogue and include Kashmiris' genuine leadership in the process to reach an honourable and permanent settlement.
He also stressed the need for a conducive atmosphere for any dialogue process and impressed upon India to stop human rights violations, withdraw its troops, repeal all black laws, and release all political prisoners in Kashmir.
While welcoming the offer for mediation from US President Donald Trump, UN secretary general Antonio Guthrie' s, Turkey, Iran, and other countries, Gulzar said that third-party mediation can lead to an amicable and just resolution of the dispute.
He said that no occupation lasts forever Kashmiris' resilience will outlast India's repression as history is witness that empires fall, but the spirit of resistance survives.
The APHC leader appealed to the international community to come forward, intervene, and implement UN resolutions on Kashmir for the permanent peace in the region.
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