Call for plebiscite in Kashmir

LONDON (Agencies) - Lyz Lyne, a European member of Parliament representing the British Lib-Democrat Party, has declared that plebiscite as the most workable solution for resolving the issue of Kashmir. "Kashmiris have the democratic right to choose a political future which must be honoured and the international community ought to come forward to facilitate a solution," she told a meeting of Liberal Democrats Friend of Kashmir organised on the sidelines of the annual party conference in Bournemouth on the southern English coast. This fringe meeting was chaired by Qasim Afzal, a prospective Liberal-Democrat candidate for the next General Elections. Members belonging to European Parliament, British Parliament, prospective parliamentary candidates, councillors, Mayors and Kashmiri leaders attended the meeting. She said that she would continually strive to raise her voice in favour of Kashmiris. She raised her voice when a lopsided report came up for debate and on issue of mass graves. MP Paul Rowan said sixty-two years old Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved as per the aspiration of people of state and its resolution is also important for durable peace in South Asia. He warned that they must not underscore the dangerous potential of the dispute. He said that he concedes India's right for the membership of UN Security Council but it should be conceded only after the resolution of Kashmir dispute. Prof Nazir Shawl of the Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre urged the Liberal Democrats to respect the aspirations of Kashmir people and help in redeeming their basic right including their inalienable right to self-determination. Shawl asked the international community to take serious notice of state violence in Indian Occupied Kashmir.  The voice of freedom in Kashmir is finding acceptability among opinion leaders of India, he said and referred the names of Arundati Roy, Vishwanathan Ayar and L.Singhvi in this regard. Chaudhry M Khan former Overseas MLA asked the Liberal Democrats not to support Indian bid for UN Security Council seat. Councillor Qurban Husain, a prospective parliamentary candidate for Luton south reminded the audience about the false hopes fed to the voters and Kashmiri Diaspora in 1995 Brighton resolution. "They did not fulfil any of the promises, thus violated the trust of their voters," he pointed out. Arsalan Khan ,Liberal Democrat student leader, called for implementation of UN resolution on Kashmir. Following a question and answer session, Qasim Afzal in his concluding remarks described Kashmir as a flashpoint which needs an urgent resolution. Meanwhile, four Indian security force personnel were killed in a gunbattle with the freedom fighters in Kashmir, an Indian army spokesman said Monday. He said the fighting broke out late Sunday when Indian soldiers, backed by counter-insurgency police, surrounded a forest where freedom fighters were present. "The freedom fighters opened fire on the approaching security personnel killing two army soldiers and two policemen," the spokesman said, adding the troops retaliated and the gunbattle was still raging.

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