Kashmir is not a property of its Muslim inhabitants

Kashmir is not a property of its Muslim inhabitants
Chairman Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) Manzoor Hussain Parwana has said on the occasion of the historic day of October 4, he on behalf of his party and the two million people of Gilgit-Baltistan pays tributes to the people of Kashmir and their political leaders for once again drawing our attention towards the moments in history during which we as a free nation had also carved out an independent state for ourselves. Every year by commemorating the day as the day of independent republic of Kashmir, the people of Kashmir draws the attention of the free and civilized world towards the people of a region who have been subjugated and kept deprived of all basic human rights by two democratic countries for the last over half a century.It is a fact that India and Pakistan have never respected the wishes of the people of Kashmir but turned the valley into a garrison area for achieving their own vested interests, where every Kashmiri sees his brother and sister being killed on other side of the bloody border.Apart from the injustices of the governments of both the countries, the so-called political leadership of Kashmir has also taken undue advantages of the situation at the cost of the people of Kashmir.The mujahidden, separatists and conferences who claim to get the region liberated by force from India and accede to Pakistan have further compounded the situation. I believe that the day when each Kashmiri realizes that Kashmir is not a property of its Muslim inhabitants alone but all who live here including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Pundits have the right to rule and neither they want to accede to Pakistan on the basis of religion nor they want freedom from India due to anti-Hindu sentiment but want to make their region an independent state without consideration of caste, creed and religion, only then the day of independence will dawn in the region. On the historic day of Kaashmir Democracy Day, I want to call upon the people of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to expedite their efforts and struggle for attaining freedom for their region so that peace and prosperity prevailed in the region including South Asia.

Issued 4/10/08