Recognise Azad Kashmir as independent soveriegn state, says Majid Malik

Bradford, 25 September 1997

The President of J & K Liberation League, Malik Majid (former chief justice of Azad Kashmir High Court) in a public meeting in Bradford (England) reiterated his party stance that the best way forward for the liberation movement was for Pakistan, as a friend of Kashmiris, to recognise the Azad-Kashmir government as an independent sovereign authority and then ask other friends world-wide to do the same so that the Kashmiris could represent their case to the world. He said India was the only aggressor and occupier of part of their country but Pakistani governments had complicated the issue. He said it was imperative that Kashmiri representatives from both sides of the divide (muslims and non-muslims) were brought together to form national agreement on the Kashmir question of self-determination in the wake of the current uprising. He praised the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, for his greater vision and right thinking on Kashmir. "When Qaid-e-Azam himself professed independent government for Kashmir with its own parliament, national anthem and a separate flag why is it that our friends in Pakistan cannot adopt his thinking today", adding that the question of accession or the 'terms of relationship' with Pakistan could well be worked out once the Kashmiris had full control over their state after liberation from India.

Earlier, Bradford based general secretary of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Azmat A Khan, commending Liberation League's role in the movement said that the Kashmiris as a nation did not take full advantage of its leader K H Khurshid's political philosophy but it was imperative that Majid Malik was not given the same cold shoulder at this critical juncture. He urged Kashmiri leaders help bring the masses closer instead of relying on secret service agencies to do their job.

Another speaker condemned the current Pakistani high commissioner in London for his recent outburst against the JKLF. Others condemned the Indian attitude towards the Kashmiri plight and saluted all those who had layed down their lives for the cause and called for withdrawal of all armed forces from all parts of Jammu Kashmir. End