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| Jammu: Hindu fanatics attack DFP president Shabir Shah during press conference ( 04-Nov-10) |
Jammu, Nov 4: The Chairman of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and senior Hurriyat Conference (M) leader Shabir Ahmed Shah on Thursday demanded that both India and Pakistan should withdraw their forces from Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan administered Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan.
“Both Kashmirs should be demilitarized. After all the areas are demilitarized Kashmiris on both the sides should be given Right to Self Determination so that they are able to decide their future,” Shah told a news conference here.
On Barack Obama’s visit
Shah sought intervention of the United States President Barack Obama to facilitate smooth trilateral talks between India, Pakistan and the prime party to the dispute-- Kashmiris for the final resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Reminding Obama of his promise, the senior Hurriyat (M) leader said, “During his election campaign he (Obama) had promised to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue if he came into power.”
“If the US intervention is not possible, the US president should at least facilitate talks between the two countries and the Kashmiri leadership,” he demanded.
He said Obama had maintained that the US would possibly appoint an envoy on Kashmir like Holbrooke was appointed as envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He demanded that US should appoint an envoy in India-Pakistan for the solution of Kashmir dispute.
Demands ceasefire
Asking Indian government to declare ceasefire, Shabir Shah said, “Talks and war cannot go side-by-side. New Delhi should declare ceasefire in the Valley to facilitate talks,” he added.
“If New Delhi is serious to resolve the issues, it should acknowledge Kashmir as an international dispute and release all the separatists, political prisoners and youth lodged in different jails,” he said.
Rules out trifurcation
While advocating the united Jammu and Kashmir, Shah accused politicians of trying to create a wedge among the people of different regions for their political gains.
He appealed the intelligentsia of Jammu region to understand those “who have made politics their business and profession” and are indulging in creating differences among the people of the three regions.
The Hurriyat will not leave the people of Jammu region alone including Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban, he said adding that the Jammu and Kashmir will remain united.
“I want to pay tributes to those 5-6 lakh people who were massacred in 1947 violence and assured people of the state that their blood will not go waste. We will take the people of Jammu with us,” he added.
On interlocutors
Reacting to the recent visit of interlocutors to Jammu and Kashmir, Shabir Shah said that talks would be ineffective unless congenial atmosphere is created.“The talks with the interlocutors appointed by the central government will not be fruitful unless the ground is prepared by acknowledging Kashmir as a dispute and releasing the prisoners,” he said.
ATTACKED
Jammu, Nov 4: A day after authorities released the senior Hurriyat (M) leader Shabir Ahmed Shah from Kotbalwal jail, activists of Bhartiya Janta Party Youva Morcha (BJPYM) )and Bajrang Dal tried to assault him and disrupted his news conference here on Thursday.
“Activists of both the parties barged into a local hotel this afternoon and tried to assault him, but his supporters formed a human chain around him and did not allow the activists to succeed in their designs,” witnesses said.
However, they (activists) ransacked the furniture and threw around the mikes of the TV channels. Police later appeared on the spot and arrested the five attackers.
Later, Shabir Shah termed the attack on him as an attempt on his life. However, he did not cancel his press conference.
“The attack was planned by those who do not want peace in the Jammu and Kashmir state,” he told reporters. “Government knew that I am going to hold a press conference here. When they (government) came to know that they (BJP activists) have failed in their attempt only then police appeared on the scene,” Shah alleged.
ATTACK EVOKES CONDEMNATION
Srinagar, Nov 4: Various separatist organizations, including United Jihad Council, have condemned the assault on Hurriyat Conference (M) senior leader and Democratic Freedom Party chairman Shabir Ahmad Shah during a press conference in Jammu,
The chairman of United Jehad Council, Syed Salah-ud-Din, while condemning the attack, termed it as frustration on the part of jingoists who, according to him, were working at the behest of secret agencies.
Lauding Shah’s political resolve, Salahuddin said Shah had spent most part of his life in jail and interrogation centres without feeling any disappointment. “It is because of his long detentions and sacrifices that he has been declared as Prisoner of Conscience by the Amnesty International,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement deputy chairman of the United Jihad Council Muhammad Usman and UJC general secretary Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman also deplored the assault on Shabir Ahmed Shah and described it as frustration.
Denouncing the assault, the Hurriyat Conference (M) convenor, Pakistan administered Kashmir, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar said such vile tactics by the extremists would not deter Hurriyat stalwarts from pursuing their struggle for legitimate political and democratic rights.
He pointed out that RSS and BJP have a notorious track record and prior to DFP chief many Hurriyat leaders including late Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Muhammad Yasin Malik were manhandled by the BJP activists.
Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement, while condemning the assault, termed it an act of sheer cowardice by the Hindu fanatics.
The senior member of the Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) Nazir Ahmed Ronga described attack on Shah as mere frustration.
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