Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Convenor, All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK (Ali Gilani) has urged the newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari to reaffirm and reassure Pakistan's support to the right of self determination of Kashmiris and their ongoing popular and peaceful struggle drawing the attention of the world body to the present state of affairs under Indian state terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rehmani, who is also the Chairman of People's Freedom League stated in a letter of felicitation to Asif Ali Zardari on his election as President of Pakistan. In a press release issued here on Saturday, Rehmani expressed the hope that the newly elected President will remain committed to the freedom movement of Kashmiris under the political ideology of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto former prime minister and founder of the Pakistan People's Party. Kashmiris are opposed to barter away their right to independence under the UN Charter and relevant Security Council Resolutions, he said.
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that strength of the President rests in the strength of Pakistan and Pakistan could gain more strength by political and economic stability based upon social justice and the right of self determination for the oppressed and deprived nations especially Kashmir and Palestine.
He said that Kashmir being the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy should not be ignored and the President should take up the question of the right of self determination and India's tyranny in Jammu and Kashmir in the forthcoming meeting with the Secretary General of UNO and other world leaders including Indian leadership in New York. Kashmiris want that Pakistani President should in clear terms tell India that the present oppressive behaviour of Indian troops in Kashmir is unacceptable to Pakistan.
In his letter to the President Asif Ali Zardari he wrote that India was leaving no stone unturned to tarnish the image of Kashmiri Muslims, portraying the long standing freedom struggle as terrorism while the fact was that Kashmiris have proved to be tolerant in the face of India's communal and fanatic tirade against them. Muhammad Farooq Rehmani reminded the new head of the state that how India by strangulating newspapers, wounding or killing newsmen and cameramen, banning cable news operators, thrashing and beating and shooting down civilians and political leaders and workers and keeping ready arrest warrants and PSA orders had changed the previous month into Black August only to quell the mass uprising for liberation from India.
He said since the dark situation was continuing, therefore Pakistan should discuss Kashmir in the Parliament and make necessary changes in the foreign policy in line with the current struggle of the people of the disputed region, never deviating from the just call of freedom.
He expressed fear that India might try to seek the help of Pakistan to defuse the present upsurge against it, which God forbid would give free hand to India to intensify horrendous reign of terror in Kashmir. But Kashmiris would never accept anything short of independence and would continue their struggle for complete independence not internal governance, he remarked.
He also appealed to President Asif Zardari to respect the urges, aspirations and sacrifices of over 100,000 Kashmiris known and unknown martyrs and forcibly disappeared people by Indian troops in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The killing spree under the Indian military machinery continues unabated in Jammu and Kashmir, the latest example is that of gunning down nine youth in Kashmir on Friday, he added.