Rashid denies allegation of training militants

15 Jun, 2005

Minster for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, clarifying the concerns shown by the Indian external affairs ministry on Tuesday said that it had never been his policy to train militants. "It has never been my policy to train militants, I am a politician who strongly supported the peace process between India and Pakistan" he said when his comments were sought regarding a statement issued by the official spokesperson of the Indian external affairs ministry at a press briefing in New Delhi.
He said "I have always been supporting the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination as per the UN Resolutions."
It is in common knowledge that thousands of Kashmiris were uprooted from the Indian occupied Kashmir at the hands of the Indian occupation security forces and they took refuge in Jammu and Kashmir and other cities in Pakistan, he said.
It was the humanitarian duty of Pakistanis to look after their brethren refugees from the Indian occupied Kashmir and a similar gesture was extended to them by me, he said.
Sheikh Rashid noted that the Indian government should have not shown immediate reaction without verifying the veracity of the facts.

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