Reacting to the recent statement of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wherein he asked the Kashmiri youth to choose between terrorism and tourism, the Hurriyat Conference (M) in a statement said that Kashmiris were not against the tourism, neither were they supporters of terrorism.Stating that the Kashmiris were not against the development and progress, the Hurriyat (M) said the people in Kashmir want the dignified resolution of the long pending Kashmir dispute which has remained the main cause of tension between India and Pakistan, obstacle to their progress, and the main source of political instability in South Asia.Hurriyat (M) stated that Kashmir was not an issue of electricity, roads and water alone, but involved the political future of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The statement said that the non resolution of this issue has jeopardized the security and progress of 1.3 billion people residing in the sub-continent.
Stressing that political farsightedness and political resolve were needed to solve the Kashmir dispute, the APHC stated that New Delhi has always shown intransigence towards finding a political solution of this issue and while completely ignoring its political context has treated it as an issue of law and order which has further complicated the issue.Asserting that Kashmiris were not extremists, neither had they picked up stones out of a hobby, APHC said people were hitting the streets and staging pro-freedom demonstrations due to extreme oppression prevailing in Kashmir since decades. It further added that hundreds of Kashmiri youth are languishing in jails in and outside Kashmir for raising the voice of freedom.Stating that Kashmiris have always welcomed tourists even in the most trying circumstances, APHC stated that any articulation can’t change the basic reality of Kashmir being a political issue that needed a political resolution.
The APHC said that Prime Minister of India besides focusing of tunnels and roads in Kashmir should focus on the resolution of the basic issue of Kashmir and start a meaningful dialogue process so as to find a just and agreeable solution of the issue in order to end the human tragedy in J&K.APHC stated that Kashmir fight for right to self determination should not be misconstrued as extremism or terrorism, adding, the Kashmiris are demanding the fulfillment of the pledge made by the state of India with Kashmiris and international community. Meanwhile the APHC spokesman denounced the continuous house arrest of APHC Chairman Dr Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and arrest and house arrest of resistance leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mohamamd Yaseen Malik, Advocate Shahidul Islam and activists Farooq Ahmad Saudagar, Abdul Rashid Tanki and others across the valley. He said the arrest and house arrest of resistance leadership and youth can’t deter them or weaken their resolve towards freedom struggle. (KNS)