Turkey moot urges India to lift held Kashmir blockade

ISLAMABAD: Delegates at a two-day international conference on Jammu and Kashmir dispute — held in Ankara, Turkey, on November 20-21 — urged India to lift blockade in the occupied Valley, respect human rights and resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully through dialogue.

The conference, which concluded on Thursday, was jointly organised by Lahore Centre for Peace Research and Institute of Strategic Thinking under the theme “Kashmir Turmoil: Emerging Threats to Peace and Role of International Community”, said a message received here from Ankara.

Leading scholars, parliamentarians, academicians, researchers, journalists and writers from across the world attended the event that discussed the historical, legal, political, security and human rights dimensions of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. These deliberations were followed up by a comprehensive “Strategic Thinking Workshop” on the Kashmir dispute.

The inaugural session had high-level Turkish and international representation, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan, Senator Sherry Rehman from Pakistan, Lord Nazir Ahmad from the United Kingdom, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of Turkey Ismail Rustu Cirit, President Religious Affairs of Turkey Prof Dr Ali Erbas, Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Surreya Sadi Bilgic, Deputy Chairman of Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Turkish Parliament Muhammet Emin Akbasoglu, Deputy Chairman of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Turkish Parliament Erkan Akcay, and parliamentarians from Indonesia, Egypt and Iran.

Masood Khan, Sherry Rehman, Lord Nazir Ahmad and other speakers gave a comprehensive overview of the prevalent situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) following India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5. They showed deep concern at the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in IOJ&K as millions of Kashmiris were braving continued blockade since August.

Dignitaries from Turkey once again reiterated their steadfast support to the people of IOJ&K. The Kashmiri representatives thanked the leadership and people of Turkey, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for Turkey’s principled stance on the issue.

A remarkable factor was that all the delegates unanimously condemned the August 5 illegal actions of India in occupied Kashmir. The conference participants also showed concern at the growing trend of Hindutva in India which threatens minorities.

The delegates stressed on the need to defuse military tensions in South Asia keeping in view that both Pakistan and India happen to be nuclear armed states and any miscalculation could be of disastrous consequences for the entire world.

They were unanimous in their views that the continued blockade of Kashmir should immediately end and international human rights organizations, observers and independent media should be allowed to visit the Indian occupied Kashmir.