A day-long meeting or recently constituted Pir-Panchal Unity Forum was held here in Jammu today to discuss a wide range of issues confronting the State. The members of the Forum belonging to various parts of the hilly terrain commencing from Kishtwar to Poonch adopted a number of resolutions at its first meeting. In the opening resolution the members decided to make it eloquently and abundantly clear that the hilly terrains of Greater Pir Panchal comprising Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch are parts of a historically, geographically, culturally and politically distinct region that does accept to be mixed up with any other region whatsoever.The meeting discussed the prevailing situation in major parts of the State particularly in the valley of Kashmir and the Governments’ callous approach to get out of decades old mess. They meeting expressed solidarity and support for the people of valley of Kashmir at this hour of repression.
The participants also condemned certain forces who, they said, have surfaced yet again to make demand for division of the State on communal line asking for carving out Jammu as a separate State. The participants made it clear that any nefarious design must and would face stiff resistance. They said that those who pitch for Jammu Statehood must know what their Jammu State would look like. They must also bear in minds the people of Greater Pir-Panchal have hitherto suffered their prejudices in every field of life in the name of pseudo secularism but time has come to rise against reprehensible plans with communal overtones.Referring to the visit of the All Parties Delegation to Srinagar today and the befitting response it received, the meeting said that the Governments must get the message loud and clear to understand that the people of Jammu and Kashmir mean serious business sans any efforts of fooling around. Based on past experiences, such delegation have lost their credibility and relevance hence a realistic approach must follow, sooner than later. The meeting also made it clear that the people of Greater Pir Panchal are also on the same page as the people of Kashmir. Any groups of disgruntled politicians from the GPP likely to meet the visiting All Parties Delegation at Jammu do not represent a whopping majority of the people of Greater Pir Panchal but they are only playing to the tunes of their masters and for personal reasons. Such people have no mass base and have lost the faith and credibility of people.
The statement issued at the close of the meeting appealed to the people of Greater Pir-Panjal in general and to the people with realist and secular outlook in particular to be vigilant and alert to foil the ill designs of mischievous elements. The meeting also stressed to strengthen the secular fabric of the region and the State as a whole. Those who spoke on the occasion included Mohammed Aslam Goni former Advocate General, Former MLA, Qazi Jala Din, Former MLC Mohammed Rasheed Qureshi, Former MLC and Advocate Murtaza Khan, Mohammed Iqbal former legislator Syed Ashghar, Hameed Qazi Advocate, Malik Mohammed Iqbal, Iqbal Kazmi Surankote, Vijay Kumar Rajouri, Abdul Rasheed Magrey Marwah, Khursheed A. Dev Advocate, Raja Abbas Advocate, Sarfraz Malik Advocate Darhal, Rauf Lone Advocate Rajouri, Shakoor A. Malik Advocate Surankte, Sham Dutt Poonchhi, Raja Sarfraz Advocate Surankote, Basharat Hussain Khan Bar President Mendhar, Mirza Haq Nawaz Bar President Rajouri, Bahar Ahmed Rounyal Ramban, Ghulam Mohammad Shan Advocate Gool, Shamim Khan Advocate Mendhar, Jehangir Khan Advocate Mendhar, Shahbaz Khan Rajouri, Fareed Choudhary Advocate. (KNS)