Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Reminds President Obama of His Election Promise
Los Angeles , CA : Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC) arranged a talk by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman, All Parties Hurriyet Conference, on February 8, 2011 in collaboration with Consulate General of Pakistan, Los Angeles, says a Consulate Press Release. It adds:
The program was moderated by Mr. J. Curtis Mack II, President, LAWAC and was attended by Ms. Riffat Masood, Consul General of Pakistan, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council, businessmen, politicians, foreign policy experts and a large number of prominent Pakistani-American and Kashmiri community members.
Mir Waiz Umar Farooq stated that the world powers had a moral obligation to put pressure on India for initiation of a political dialogue between the accredited leadership of Jammu and Kashmir and the Governments of India and Pakistan for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Mir Waiz demanded an immediate and complete cessation of military actions against the civilian population by the Indian forces, release of all political prisoners, annulling of various repressive laws including the Jammu Kashmir Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act, and restoration of rights of peaceful association, assembly and demonstration. He cautioned that no solution would be durable until that takes popular sentiments of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir into account.
Mirwaiz reiterated that India and Pakistan could not resolve the sixty-three year old Kashmir dispute alone and would require engagement of the United States. He reminded President Obama of his pledge during the Presidential campaign of an appointment of a special US envoy on Kashmir.
Responding to questions, Mirwaiz stated that the principle of self-determination and maintenance of international peace and security are inseparable. The denial of right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir had brought India and Pakistan even to the brink of nuclear catastrophe.
In response to another question, Mir Waiz mentioned that the over six hundred thousand Indian military and paramilitary forces in Kashmir was the largest army per capita concentration in the world. The Indian army was committing massive human rights violations in which over 85,000 innocent civilians had been killed. He urged that the state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir by India should be stopped and must be condemned.
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