Gilgit Baltistan Assembly has no right to decided future of this region

Gilgit Baltistan Assembly has no right to decided future of this region
Geneva 11 September 2012

Kashmir National Party leaders Abbas Butt, Zubair Ansari and Dr Shabir Choudhry in a joint statement reiterated KNP stand that Gilgit Baltistan is legal and constitutional part of State of Jammu and Kashmir; and the entire State is disputed and forcibly divided and occupied.

KNP leaders said the State of Jammu and Kashmir is one political entity and must not be divided in any form or shape. Whatever the future status of the State it must remain united; and any attempts to divide it will be opposed as it will be disastrous for Jammu and Kashmir State and the entire region of South Asia. They said Gilgit Baltistan was practically controlled and annexed by Pakistan, and this move was opposed by all freedom loving people in Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, it is disturbing to note that those forces which want to divide the State of Jammu and Kashmir are, once again, active and they want to pass a resolution through the Gilgit Baltistan Assembly to provide some legal cover for annexation of this region. KNP leaders further said those who are presenting this resolution or supporting it are not well wishers of the people of Gilgit Baltistan; and this move is perceived as treachery by the freedom loving people of Jammu and Kashmir State.

KNP leaders added this move is very dangerous and will provide justification to the similar resolution passed by the Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, on strength of which India claims Kashmir to be its integral part. They asserted, no Assembly of the divided State of Jammu and Kashmir has right to decide future of any region; as the future of the entire State has to be decided by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abbas Butt and Dr Shabir Choudhry said during our stay in Geneva, we will meet like minded Kashmiri people and work out some strategy to oppose this nefarious move, and see how we can activate the UN mechanism to highlight this move of Pakistani controlled Assembly, as it is clearly violation of the UNCIP Resolutions on the Kashmir dispute. END