SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has welcomed the mediation efforts by the United States on the Kashmir dispute and resumption of Pakistan-India talks.
APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, in a statement, thanked the United States for its mediation offer.
He said the U.S. is playing a role in creating an atmosphere conducive to meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India for the final settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
He emphasized that the genuine Kashmiri leadership, most of whom are languishing in Indian jails, should be part of the proposed talks to ensure that any solution reflects the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The APHC said that with the Trump administration prioritizing trade and peace, the time is ripe for the U.S. to assume role of a key mediator in resolving the Kashmir issue that, it believed, will promote political and economic stability in the region.
The spokesman added that the participation of the Hurriyat leadership would ensure that the voices of those most affected are heard, making the outcome more legitimate and sustainable.
He recalled that the U.S. State Department had in September 2019 urged India to resume political engagement with Kashmiri leaders and hold promised elections.
President Donald Trump also reiterated his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue on September 9, 2019.
APHC expressed readiness to contribute to the peace process, aiming to create an atmosphere conducive to an honourable resolution of the dispute.
It urged the Indian government to abandon its rigid and hegemonic policies and adopt a sincere and constructive approach to dialogue.
Resolution of Kashmir dispute key to peace
The APHC reiterated its commitment to fostering peace and friendship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, asserting that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute is the key to lasting peace.
The APHC also called on the Indian government to release all political prisoners, including APHC Chairman Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sufi, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf Shah, Syed Shakeel Yousuf Shah, Bilal Siddiqi, Molvi Bashir Irfani, Mushtaqul Islam, Ameer Hamza, Dr Hameed Fayaz, Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom, Rafiq Ahmad Ganai, Abdul Ahmad Parra, Noor Muhammad Fayaz, Hayat Ahmed Butt, Zaffar Akbar Butt, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Dr Muhammad Shafi Shariati, Ghulam Qadir Butt, Zahoor Ahmed Butt, Shakeel Ahmad Yatoo, Umar Adil Dar, Saleem Nanaji, Muhammad Yasin Butt, Fayaz Hussain Jafari, Adil Siraj Zargar, Dawood Zargar, human rights defender Khurram Parvaiz, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, journalist Irfan Majeed, and others detained in various jails across India and occupied Kashmir.
The APHC also condemned the continued house raids and harassment of families in Srinagar, across the Kashmir Valley, and in the Jammu region.
It urged the United Nations to dispatch monitoring teams to assess the deteriorating ground situation in occupied Kashmir.
Reiterating solidarity with the victims in Pakistan, as well as the residents along the Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and occupied Kashmir, the APHC said that the Kashmiri people remain the worst sufferers of this unresolved dispute.
