SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (R) has complimented the people of Srinagar Parliamentary constituency for boycotting the elections. In a statement, JKLF spokesman, Wajahat Quershi, said, “The poll boycott should serve as an eye opener for New Delhi.” He hoped that people of Varmul and Kargil constituencies would follow suit.

Meanwhile the convener, Hurriyat Conference (G) and chairman J&K Peoples League, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has expressed satisfaction over the election boycott in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency. In an e-mailed statement, he said, “Despite a war like situation for the last several weeks by the Delhi-backed government, the voters of Kashmir rejected the pro Indian parties’ call to cast their votes, which should open eyes of those who supported a constitutional solution of Kashmir dispute with India.”

He said the situation would in no way be different in Varmul and Kargil on May 13. Chairman Salvation Movement, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, complimented people of Srinagar Parliamentary constituency for boycotting elections. “By boycotting polls people of the constituency have emboldened the morale of separatist forces in Kashmir,” Zaffar said in a statement. While lashing at New Delhi, he said, “Government of India should accept the ground reality now and solve Kashmir dispute once for all.” NNI

SRINAGAR: The entire valley was brought to a standstill a day ahead of parliamentary elections in occupied Kashmir by a 50-hour strike call and an undeclared curfew imposed by authorities. Violence erupted in a number of places, leaving over a score of persons injured, even as authorities placed the chairmen of both factions of the Hurriyat Conference and a number of other separatist leaders under house arrest while over sixty activists were taken into custody to foil their poll boycott campaign.

The 50-hour strike call by the Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, to enforce a boycott of Thursday’s polls in south Kashmir, coupled with massive restrictions by authorities, paralyzed life in the valley as commercial activities remained suspended and transport services ground to a halt.

Schools, government offices, banks and private businesses throughout Kashmir stayed shut, and streets and markets wore a deserted look during the strike that came into force on Tuesday. Violence had broken out in the city soon after the strike began, and continued today as well in a number of places where groups of youth defied heavy police presence to come out and launch stone-pelting attacks.

Thousands of police and paramilitary troopers had been moved into various parts of the city in anticipation of trouble, and roadblocks and obstructions erected on main streets curbed movement between Srinagar areas extensively.

Contingents of the police took over Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of the city, early this morning directing commercial vehicles parked there to move off, and erected barricades on the Radio Kashmir crossing, blocking access to the central and lower Srinagar.

Police and paramilitary men deployed throughout the city created a curfew-like situation with frisking and questioning at frequent checkpoints and curbs on vehicular movement. Street battles broke out in the lower city, Rambagh, Chanpora, and Bandipur where stone-pelting youth clashed with the police amid slogans in favour of azadi and poll boycott.

Groups of masked slogan-shouting youth took to the streets in Kawdara, pelting stones on the police when the latter tried to disperse them, but disappeared after brief skirmishes. A large number of youth came out in Rambagh in support of freedom and boycott, and marched to the Rambagh bridge where they clashed with the police that blocked their way.

The police used lathi-charge to break up the stone-pelting demonstration, and the situation returned to normal. Reports from Bandipur said that violent youth pelted stones on vehicles passing through the main market this morning to enforce a shutdown, leading to total suspension of business activities and vehicular movement in the town. Meanwhile, the authorities placed heavy restrictions on the movements of separatist leaders in a bid to foil their poll boycott campaign.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Agha Syed Hassan, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Javed Ahmad Mir and Farida Behenji were placed under house arrest, while Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Hubbi, Hakeem Muhammad Altaf, Hakeem Abdul Rasheed and others were taken into custody along with scores of activists.

Senior Hurriyat (M) leaders, Zaffar Akbar Bhat and Yasmeen Raja, were arrested near Pampore, and several raids were conducted on the house of Muhammad Salim Zargar of the Tehreek-e-Mazahamat, but to no avail, as he was not present at home. Reports also speak of a large-scale police drive to round up separatist leaders and activists all over Kashmir.

input fromAgencies

JAMMU: The Indian home minister P Chidambaram has said the government of India was actively considering revocation of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, as it had been “an old demand of the state government.” However, he said the decision would be taken after the Lok Sabha elections that have necessitated “increased security.”

Addressing reporters here after reviewing security situation ahead of the polls, Chidambaram said the central government received requests from the state for revocation of the Act and the demand is being actively considered. “It is an old demand of the state and it has been examined. We are positive over it, and the final decision will be taken after Lok Sabha elections,” he said.

Replying to a question about the probe into killing of two civilians by army in Bomai, Sopur, Chidambaram said the central government would initiate action against those found guilty after examining the reports of two inquiries, one completed by the state government and the other being conducted by the army. He added that he was assured by the defense minister that army’s inquiry would be completed quickly.-SANA

SRINAGAR: With the number of ill-fated children who have lost their parents at an all-time high in Valley, there has been increase in the number or orphanages as well. But the debate is whether an orphanage is what an orphaned child really needs – for the evidence of weird impact of life in an orphanage on a child’s psyche and behavior are too serious to be brushed aside!

“Earlier also there were orphans but the culture of orphanages started only after the militancy started in the Valley and the number of widows and orphans skewed up in the wake of political turmoil,” says Muneer Ahmed Dar, chairman of Yateem Khana, Jawahar Nagar.

Dar says that his orphanage doesn’t not get any financial support from the government, and yet it’s able to generate Rs 1.5 crore annually. “We do not go door-to-door in order to collect donations for the orphans but people usually come to us and then we have monthly donors also who provide help and in this way we are able to generate Rs 1.5 crore annually which then goes into running different schemes for the welfare of orphaned children,” he adds.

He says they have a programme called ‘Higher Education Scholarship Programme’, which is helping some 220 children. “Under the scheme we pay Rs 6000 annually to each beneficiary,” says Dar, adding the scheme is for the students who have passed their matriculation exams and helps them financially until their graduation.

He says they have a scheme called GUIDE – Girl Upliftment in Domestic Environment ? which gives financial help to six orphan girls each from every district of the Valley, Yateem Khana provides them Rs 1000 on monthly basis for their education.

Under the ‘Basic Education Programme’, which is meant both for the boys and girls, there are 400 beneficiaries and each of these gets Rs 2000 annually. Dar says the organization also runs a programme called ‘Widow Welfare Programme’, under which 150 widows are provided financial assistance. ‘Marriage programme’ is also run by Yateem Khana, under which the organization bears the cost of marriages of girls who have no one to take care of it.

Although there are many welfare organizations that have been created to take care of the widows and orphans, but on ground only a few are visible when it comes to delivering on ground to help the helpless.

“Only a few organizations are actually working while the rest have taken it as a way to get money in the name of orphans which they use for their own welfare,” Dar regrets. Elaborating on the reasons for increasing attendance at orphanages, Dar says “apart from economic constraints, unemployment, death of bread-winner and mother’s engagement in tedious jobs (after her husband’s death) are some of the reasons for it.”

“Our organization looks after 700 orphaned children and 150 widows of which 60 children are in special homes, one at Jawahar Nagar and another at Kulgam,” he says, adding the remaining beneficiaries live with their families.

Although Dar claims that “the only positive thing about the orphanages is that people know the children would not be exploited here,” however, there are other reasons which are a cause of worry. “After spending long time in orphanages many children find it difficult to assimilate with their families and society in general,” agrees Dar.

Social activist, Abdul Rashid Hanjoora, says “child rights are abused in orphanages as these institutes provide hostel-like facilities and a child is denied of the family life and family care.”

As per his survey, there are 18 orphanages and 17 Ashrams and Nari Nikatans in the Valley “who don’t provide social service actually needed by the hapless people.“In these institutes a child is abused and is not treatment and nourished the way he or she should be,” Hanjoora says, adding “and the most important thing is that a child remains isolated from the society and carries a social stigma of being brought up in an orphanage all through his life.”

Instead of establishing and donating money to these orphanages, people should give money for the community rehabilitation which experts believe is the only solution. “In Kashmir there are more than 100,000 orphans who need rehabilitation and not these special homes or orphanages,” Hanjoor adds.-SANA

On Friday, while speaking in the India Today Conclave in New Delhi, Musharraf said India and Pakistan should seek to resolve their differences, end the dispute over Kashmir urgently and work toward peace to help uplift the poor in both nations. The nuclear-capable South Asian neighbors, which have fought three wars since independence in 1947, should “disengage and demilitarize,” Musharraf said.

The “Berlin Wall” of the Line of Control that divides Kashmir needs to be made irrelevant, he said. “We have to resolve Kashmir without loss of time because it is impacting negatively on both our societies,” Musharraf said. “Kashmir remains the key dispute and the sore point,” he said.

Nothing new in Musharraf’s remarks: Geelani
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani has said that Musharraf stated nothing new as he has been insisting on the resolution of Kashmir during his eight years regime but India is not ready to accept the reality. “When he was in power he repeatedly asked that Kashmir dispute should be resolved and he has reiterated the same stand,” he said while commenting on Musharraf’s remarks.

However, Geelani said it has to be seen whether the Government of India was ready to accept Kashmir as dispute. He said since 1950s hundreds of rounds of dialogue has taken place with India and it has not accepted the reality. Geelani said now there were no gunmen in occupied Kashmir only unarmed people who were being fired open for demonstrating peacefully.

President Pervez Musharraf yesterday warned that there could be more Kargil like conflicts if the “key dispute” and “sore point” Kashmir remains unresolved for long. The Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said Kashmir has impact on Indo-Pak relations. Mehbooba who on Saturday came back from Islamabad said confidence building measures on Kashmir would end “sort of cold war between India and Pakistan.” She said that recent elections have provided an opportunity to India and it should move ten steps forward.

Heed Musharraf’s advice: Mirwaiz Umar said to India
SRINAGAR: Day after the former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, described Kashmir as the “key dispute” and “sore point” and called for its urgent resolution, leaders in Kashmir welcomed his statements, saying, “India should come out of the denial mode and accept the realities.”

“I watched the whole program. He spoke well. One thing I have seen in Musharraf is that he doesn’t beat around the bush, he is not a hypocrite, and his focus during the speech was on Kashmir. Kashmir resolution is must for stability of the region,” Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said.

Mirwaiz said India should understand the reality and should join Pakistan to address Kashmir dispute. Mirwaiz said Mushraff has always been ardent advocate of Kashmir resolution. “I have recently heard an interview of the National Security Advisor of India M.K Narayanan who stated that Musharaff was better person to deal with. Time has come for India to reciprocate,” Mirwaiz said.

Mirwaiz said Musharaff has pointed out the root cause of mistrust repeatedly whether in power or out of it and Indians must act realistically. He said even in the hostile audience, Musharaff pointed out hard realities before India, and India must accept it and it should come out of the denial mode. “When Musharraf speaks, you should listen to him,” Mirwaiz told Greater Kashmir.-SANA

SRINAGAR: Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu Kashmir (THJK) acting chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai has expressed concern over the conditions of the detainees in different jails and demanded their immediate release. According to a statement issued here, Sehrai said, “The living conditions in the jails are pathetic. Cleanliness and proper medication is not there. The detainees are suffering from different ailments and are not provided any treatment. They should be released immediately.”

Ghulam Muhammad Tantray and Abdul Gani Bhat of Sopore are in Udhampur and Kathua jail respectively where they are not being given proper medical treatment and they are suffering from serious ailments, read the statement. “At least government should transfer both the detainees to Srinagar central jail for proper treatment,” said Sehrai.

THJK also demanded release of all the pro-freedom political detainees including Shabir Ahmed Shah, Mehraj ud din Kalwal, Masarat Alam, Peer Saifullah, Salim Nanaji, Bita Karate, Imtiyaz Hyder and others. “Omar Abdullah has no powers to take decisions in political matters. He just has mandate of administering roads, water supply and employment. He could not keep promises he made during the election campaign,” said Sehrai. THJK appealed the international humanitarian organizations to take cognizance of the condition of detainees.-SANA

WASHINGTON: A US lawmaker has advocated the need to encourage India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue. “We heard in recent reports that India and Pakistan were meeting secretly in the last year or so to try to resolve Kashmir. All of this has to be encouraged now,” Congressman Ed Markey said while talking to reporters.

A New York magazine in its latest issue said India and Pakistan had secret talks for four years aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue and had in fact almost reached an agreement before General Pervez Musharraf got bogged down in his country’s domestic problem. Markey was part of a Congressional delegation led by House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi that visited Afghanistan last week, wherein she met top US military leaders in the country, besides meeting the Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

After reports that the covert talks between India and Pakistan on occupied Kashmir were about to yield results, the JK chief minister Omar Abdullah has called on the two-countries to revive the secret talks to resolve the vexed Kashmir issue.

In an interview, Omar Abdullah said, “India has been granted a ‘lifeline’ after most Kashmiris voted in landmark elections but the government must avoid complacency and intransigence if it is to bring peace”.
He, however, said that the bad timing of an economic slowdown, a general election and the diplomatic aftermath of November’s Mumbai attacks mean quick progress in the disputed region will be almost impossible.

Omar said that New Delhi has really been handed a lifeline through this election and they need to capitalise on that. “The opportunity is enormous,” Chief Minister Abdullah said in a house surrounded by photos of a family that has dominated Kashmir for decades. “But we shouldn’t underestimate the extent of the challenges we face. There is a bad timing,” he said.

Abdullah, 38, emerged as chief minister after his National Conference party and the ruling Congress party won the assembly election and forged a coalition government. Many Kashmiris saw his victory as bringing hope that some deal could be reached to help end a conflict that has provoked two of India and Pakistan’s three wars. “The fact that the two-decades-old insurgency has waned should not be taken as an excuse to sit back,” Omar said.-SANA

RAWALKOT: To mark 25th death anniversary of Maqbool Butt Shaheed, Kashmiris observed a day-long shutdown called at the both sides of Line of Control. The pro-freedom parties organized seminars and peaceful rallies in varies part of Kashmir and Pakistan.

In Rawalkot, thousands of JKLF activists staged a protest march shouting slogans carrying banners and posters. Paying rich tributes on the 25th death anniversary of JKLF founder Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, JKLF Chairman Sardar Sagheer said: “We have to remain united and take steps wisely in order to take our freedom struggle to its completion. The precious sacrifices of our martyrs have brought our struggle to international focus. We have to foil all the attempts of conspirators to safeguard our sacrifices.”

He reiterated his stand of continuing with the freedom struggle of Kashmir and appealed people to act wisely to strengthen the Kashmir cause. “Our sacrifices won’t go in vain and we will never allow anyone to sell out these sacrifices,”

Meanwhile, a large number of people participated in a peaceful rally held, on the eve of the 25th martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri liberation leader, Muhammad Maqbool Butt.

The rally organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front started from Boys college and culminated at Katchari Chowk after passing through several localities of the city. People on the occasion raised high-pitched anti-India and pro-liberation slogans.

It was on February 11 in 1984 that Muhammad Maqbool Butt was hanged to death by the Indian authorities in Tihar Jail, Delhi, for his leading role in Kashmiris’ liberation struggle. His dead body was clandestinely buried in the jail premises and Kashmiris have been demanding the shifting of his mortal remains to occupied Kashmir for proper burial.

Another Peaceful rally was organized in Mirpur, leading By JKLF (Yasin Malik group) Yasin Malik. Paying rich tributes to the martyred leader, the JKLF (Yasin Malik group ) Chairman, , said that “We repeat our demands that the mortal remains of the martyr Bhatt should be given to the people of Kashmir and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front”.-SANA

SRINAGAR: The Indian government has asked an American filmmaker, Udi Aloni’s not to visit occupied Kashmir again. The dictum comes after Aloni showed a documentary about the non-violent resistance movement in occupied Kashmir. The film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival.

“Indian authorities have taken umbrage at Kashmir: Journey to Freedom and are denying visa to me,” Aloni, said after the film was premiered in Panorama section, which showcases independent and art house cinema.

“Please let me return to India. I really miss my friends from Kashmir, and I really love to be in India,” he said while defending his documentary and insisting he had done India a good service by making it.

Aloni said he had gone to Kashmir without really knowing what he was going to see, and that his film was less a documentary and more of an action movie of a different sort.
“I have always believed in non-violence,” he added.

Aloni’s movie shows how a new generation of young Kashmiri Muslims, after years of armed resistance, decided to lay down the arms and start a nonviolent resistance movement – with the hope of finally achieving peace and independence.-SANA

To the Honourable Mr President,
President Barack Hussein Obama.

We wish you are in the best of health and high-spirits.

Mr. President, we are writing to you as a group of concerned American, foreign, and Pakistani students who would like to bring your attention to the world’s longest-standing flashpoint. It is our belief that a watershed has been reached where some common-sense needs to prevail in South Asia with regards to India-Pakistan relations. We recognize and appreciate some of the statements that you have made with regards to that but we urge you to accept with utmost seriousness that the Kashmir Dispute has lingered on for far too long. We ask you to offer the best of your offices to facilitate and mediate a speedy resolution to the disputed conflict of Jammu and Kashmir.

For over 60 years, the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been a source of intense bitterness and discord between India and Pakistan.

In 1947, after the Partition of the British colony of India, Kashmir’s Maharajah ceded to the Indian Union. However, the principle enshrined in the Partition of British India was that ascension was to be based on the notion of Muslim-majority provinces & princely states be given to Pakistan while Hindu-majority territories forming India.

There was also the Princely State of Hyderabad, a state with a Muslim Nawab and a Hindu majority. India’s armed forces annexed the Princely State of Hyderabad through the illegal use of Indian Armed Forces on the logic that Hyderabad was Hindu-majority even though the Nawab had expressed his intentions of joining Pakistan. Similar, was the fate of the Princely State of Junagardh.

On hearing the news of the Maharajah of Kashmir joining the Indian Union without the consent of the Kashmiri masses – an undemocratic move indeed – the populace of the state and adjoining areas revolted against the Maharajah. This meant Pakistan and India were juxtaposed for their first war that neither side had wanted. While for India this was tantamount to land grab, for Pakistan this was an attempt to defend its very rationale for existence as a state.

Mr. President, Resolution 47 of the United Nations Security Council, passed in 1948, stands as a source of truth and justice to resolve this dispute between India and Pakistan. This is in line with the long standing principle that has held the international system together since Westphalia – the right to self-determination.

India claims to be the world’s largest democracy, then why, we ask does it not adhere to the words of its own co-founding father, Jawaharlal Nehru who affirmed his faith in a free and fair plebiscite to let the Kashmiris decide their fate? Why, we ask, has the international community and more importantly America been silent to this gross violation of the ‘self-determination’ principle of International Relations?

Mr President, just like the founding fathers of the United States of America made innumerable sacrifices by raising voice against the tyranny of the monarchy and for exercising their right to self-determination, do the people of Kashmir not deserve that same unalienable right to rid themselves of a tyrannical rule that they have never accepted?

Mr. President, Pakistanis and Kashmiris are only seeking what is just and fair. The Pakistani state and people have been long-standing allies of the United States and its peoples. We joined forces with your nation to defeat the threat of Communism in Afghanistan. What did we receive in return? That humiliating Pressler Amendment which crippled our defence needs based on arbitrary, unilateral and comatose efforts by lobbyists.

Mr. President, we consider this our duty to point out to you that Pakistan did not introduce nuclear weapons to South Asia – our neighbour to the east did. Now we watch in deep horror as America gifts our eastern neighbour with nuclear technology and next generation reactors even though India has not ratified either the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty or the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. This is a clear break from tradition when America believed in the power of treaty and customary laws.

Such provisions also challenge the America’s long standing position of being ‘fair’ to both nuclear states in the subcontinent. However, now Pakistan is being denied this fairness and just treatment while we carry the tag of a ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’.

Mr. President, coming to the War on Terror, how many Americans are aware that 8000 Pakistani civilians have lost their lives last year as a result of terrorist attacks? Do the think-tanks that churn out anti-Pakistan rhetoric not see the price being paid by Pakistan or are they oblivious to glaring hard realities?
Pakistan has become the frontline state in the War on Terror yet we receive a paltry amount of development aid and security aid that is not enough to tackle a hardened Taliban insurgency and growing economic crisis that the world financial crisis has triggered. Pakistan lacks duty-free access to American and European markets. Such provisions would allow for economic liberty to emerge with a new dynamic in our country and hence reduce the threat posed by extremism. We point these issues out to open some eyes in Washington to the dynamics which are plaguing South Asia and converging into a mega issue which can cause rapid destabilization of the region while spirally in to a major international crisis.

Respected Sir, you may not be aware, but India has defaulted on it’s pledge to the world community, to Pakistan, to the People of Kashmir, and to human conscience; for it has failed to carry the plebiscite which it had agreed to under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 47.

Sir, are you aware of what really is happening in Kashmir? Mr. President, 100,000 civilians have been killed in conflict which began in the early 1990’s as a result of a heavy Indian military presence and their brutal methods in the occupied state. The Indian mainland has actively engaged in attempts to alter the natural demographics of the Kashmir Valley. Over 50,000 Kashmiri Hindus have fled the valley, as a result of increased communal tensions due to India’s denial of a plebiscite – communal violence that plagues India proper as well. This is not of Pakistan’s doing, but India’s failure; for this adamant daughter of a once wise civilization denies Kashmir her democratic rights.

This past summer of 2008, Kashmiri separatists eschewed violence in favour for peaceful non-violent protests. Hundreds and thousands of Kashmiris, upwards of half a million poured out on to the streets to protest Indian rule. The result? Indian security forces gunned down 70 unarmed protestors in broad daylight. For the past 60 years, India’s Independence Day is marked as a ‘Black Day’ by Kashmiris as they hoist black flags in defiance to illegal Indian rule. One only needs look in to reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to discover the plethora of evidence of Indian atrocities, not to forget the discovery of thousands of unmarked mass graves in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

India also continues to plan and build mega-dam projects that are a blatant violation of the standards laid down by the Indus River Water Treaty between itself and Pakistan. This has resulted in Pakistan’s two most important rivers, The Chenab and the Ravi, being choked as India illegally tampers with the water topography of Kashmir. This has started to pose acute problems and threatens the very existence of Pakistan’s agriculture-based economy. It also threatens two of Pakistan’s provinces with acute water shortages, with adverse effects on crops and the Pakistani people. This also affects Pakistan’s hydroelectricity generation capacity – already plagued by acute energy crisis – further damaging our capacity to ensure economic liberty and the prospect of upward social mobility. Does the United States not see these violations?

Mr. President, we want the People of Pakistan and the People of Kashmir – whether the latter chooses independence or union with Pakistan – to have every right to exercise their aspirations whether that is to live with human dignity and/or the right to upward social mobility. The current conflict has taken a heavy toll on the Pakistani masses while also has resulted in unimaginable suffering for the Kashmiri masses. We can forgive those who have been afraid of dark in the past and have not embraced rationality, but we cannot forgive those who are afraid to accept the light. The light, Mr. President, is democracy. This has two loose ends that will have to be tied up. America has to give up its love affair with dictatorships in Pakistan and Kashmir has to be entitled to a democratic exercise to determine its own destiny. Freedom beckons for Kashmir as Kashmir bleeds under the yoke of a million-strong illegal Indian military occupation. You alluded to Iran unclenching its fist, but what about India unclenching not just its fist but unloading that shotgun it has placed on the heart of Kashmir?

We ask upon you to fix this historic injustice and to allow the people of Kashmir to exercise their unalienable right to self-determination and democratic exercise to choose their own destiny, whether it be with India, Pakistan, or as a free nation-state in the comity of Nations – such as Kosovo has done. Sir, you are in a position to act. Mr. President, prove to us the merit of playing by the rules and set a strong precedent that the international system can work for the weak as well and not just the strong. Because sooner or later, if the prospect is not shown to the masses that the international system supports justice and not just profits, then playing by the rules will seem distateful and paradoxical as we would have come to the realization that we are not considered part of the game.

P.S: Please see the thousands of signiatures and more profoundly a light we have lit for you on this website; www.plebiscitekashmir.com

Regards ,

Haroon S. Ellahi Shaikh and Saad Syed
Society For Plebiscite Agaisnt Occupation
________________________________________________________________

Editor’s Note:
Pakistan Times received this letter from Mr. Ellahi Haroon. Since an important issue has been highlighted in this letter by Ellahi Haroon and Saad Syed, Editor has published this letter because it is not only a valuable food for thought for the readers of Pakistan Times but Editor is hopeful that message reaches to right destination.