Er Rasheed asks PM Modi to revisit Kashmir policy
Seeks unconditional release of political prisoners
Srinagar: Saying that verdict of masses in the Lok Sabha election results has to be respected, AIP President, Er Rasheed has appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revisit his Kashmir policy and ensure measures for resolution to Kashmir issue, so that everlasting peace returns in the entire sub-continent.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Thursday, Rasheed thanked people of North Kashmir for voting “in huge numbers in favour of AIP despite all compulsions, time constraint and lack of resources”.
Rasheed said an 85 -year old scholar, Khaliq Parvez from Baramulla, “who was tortured with brutality and was in 1957 forced to exile for more than a decade for his political views and for seeking resolution to Kashmir dispute” had voted in favour of AIP.
Besides, 90 year old Sonaullah Wani of Handwara, father of a top slain militant commander and “hundreds of local cops who casted their votes through ballot paper and a sufficient number of victims of violence and conflict also showed faith in AIP only for the reason that party has been constantly seeking an end to bloodshed by resolving the dispute in accordance with wishes, aspirations and sacrifices of people of J&K”, Rasheed said.
“The fact is that not only families of victims of violence, but those in uniform have also shown their faith in AIP and the hate mongers should understand that the vote is for the slogan and efforts of AIP leadership that no mother should lose her beloved son whether he be a militant, an army men, a common man or a political worker,” he added.
Referring to killings in Kashmir, Rasheed said that for every mother, the life of her son was important and “wrapping dead bodies in tri color or any other color hardly matters for the ill-fated families”.
“Soldiers cannot speak for themselves and their vote to AIP is a message to New Delhi not to play with our blood and being in armed force doesn’t snatch from us the right to speak and think about sufferings of our people or make a right choice to vote”.
Rasheed thanked masses for “showing faith in AIP and laying a strong foundation stone to reject traditional politics”.
He said it should be a matter of great satisfaction that people cutting across sectarian and ethnic affiliations “voted in huge numbers for AIP thus gave a befitting reply to those who would often accuse AIP leadership of representing a certain and small chunk of society”.
AIP, he said, owes special thanks to minority community in Uri “who preferred AIP over those who have been trying to show false sympathies with Kashmiri Pandits only for their vested political interests”.
It is matter of great satisfaction that AIP had topped five assembly segments including Uri, Tangmarg, Langate, Baramulla and Karnah and has finished second in Sopore, Sangrama, Rafiabad and Lolab, Rasheed stated.
He said that the AIP has also performed “extremely well in rest of the six assembly segments”.
“The results have proved that sufferings, sentiments and feelings of people of entire state are same and those who tried to get people divided on sectarian and ethnic lines divide got a befitting reply from people of Karnah, Uri and Pattan,” he said.
Rasheed stated that AIP leadership “is conscience of its duties towards people of the state and party will do everything required to convert the sentiments and emotions of people into a movement so that the miseries of people of state end”.
He also urged Election Commission to take notice of certain political parties who “managed poll boycott in certain areas only for the reason that it helped them in ultimate results”.
Rasheed appealed Prime Minister Modi to ensure that political problems should be dealt by political process “not by misusing various agencies”.
He also demanded unconditional release of all political prisoners including those languishing in Tihar Jail and said that for creating a conducive atmosphere, concrete confidence building measures are a pre-requisite condition on both sides.
He also demanded a ceasefire in the month of Ramadan and said that such efforts need to be continued as hostility on either side gives nothing except loss of lives.
Rasheed appealed both India and Pakistan not to take for granted the sufferings of Kashmiris and said that while Kashmiris will welcome any goodwill gesture between two countries, but cannot surrender their legitimate political rights.
KV News
