The All Parties Hurriyat Conference has said that lasting peace and economic stability in South Asia were impossible without the settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesman Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas, reacting to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks advocating peaceful resolution of global conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, said the same principle must be applied to the long-pending Jammu and Kashmir dispute. 

The spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said the unresolved Kashmir dispute remained the core issue between Pakistan and India and continued to endanger regional peace. The APHC spokesman urged the Modi-led Indian government to end its illegal occupation of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and create a conducive atmosphere for meaningful dialogue involving Pakistan and the genuine Kashmiri leadership.

He reiterated that the APHC supports peaceful talks for the settlement of the Kashmir issue, adding that durable peace in the region could only be achieved through justice and recognition of the Kashmiris’ internationally acknowledged right to self-determination. Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas said India’s continued military presence, repression, arbitrary arrests and denial of political rights in IIOJK contradicted New Delhi’s claims of supporting peace and diplomacy.

He maintained that genuine confidence-building measures, including release of political prisoners and repeal of draconian laws, were essential for any credible peace process. The APHC reaction came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Norway, stated that “no issue can be resolved through military conflict alone” and called for peaceful resolution of the Ukraine and West Asia conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. Modi also said India and Norway believed in a rules-based order and peaceful engagement for resolving global challenges.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)