News
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Kashmir moot skips UN resolutions
* Declaration says Kashmiris central to Indo-Pak peace process
WASHINGTON: The two-day International Kashmir Peace Conference that ended here on Friday produced a declaration emphasising the centrality of the Kashmiris to what in the past has been projected as a bilateral dispute, but made no mention of UN Security Council resolutions, the right of self-determination or the demilitarisation of the disputed state. The declaration said that “the people of Jammu and Kashmir are central to the India-Pakistan peace process and representative dialogue”, while affirming that “a sustainable and just solution of the Kashmir dispute can be achieved only through democratically established procedures for ascertaining the will of the people of the state as existing on 14/15 August 1947.” It called for the establishment of “an independent and credible investigative commission” to probe human rights abuses, including the issue of mass graves recently discovered in the state. Also demanded was a “realistic time frame” to be worked out by India and Pakistan for resolving the dispute. The Pakistan embassy’s deputy chief, M Aslam Khan denounced the maintenance and perpetuation of the Kashmir status quo as a solution. khalid hasan
Courtesy DailyTimes