Stop Talibanisation of Azad Kashmir, demands Shaukat Ali Kashmiri

UKPNP leader asks Kashmiris of all belongings to unite against Taliban, al-Qaeda getting
foothold in their areas; asks Pakistan government to take notice of some elements
encouraging Talibanisation of Azad Kashmir

LONDON (PRESS RELEASE): The leader and founder of United Kashmir Peoples National
Party (UKPNP) has demanded of the government of Pakistan to stop funding pro-Taliban
and al-Qaeda elements in what is known as Pakistani administered or Azad Kashmir.
Speaking at a reception thrown in his honour by the London branch of the UKPNP, Sardar
Shaukat Ali Kashmiri revealed the extent to which Taliban elements have strengthened
their hold and position in Azad Kashmir.
A recent suicide blast in the capital, which killed army soldiers and innocent people,
showed that Taliban had started starting their heinous activities openly and without any
fear and this cannot be an isolated incident, Sahukat Kashmiri stated.
“There is a history of nurturing and funding terror organization on sectarian, religious and
territorial lines in Pakistan and pakistani Administered Kashmir has not been an
exception. Since 80’s the security establishment and intelligence agencies funded the
extreme right-wing forces to engage India in Indian administered Kashmir and they have
been entrenched in public with the help of billions flowing in aid from the Pakistani
establishment and in the shape of Madrassas funded by Saudi extremist clerics to
strengthen the Wahabi and salafisim,” Shaukat Kashmiri said, informing the over 200
strong diaspora audience, writersn, members of various political disciplines, intellectuals,
workers who had traveled from different parts of Great Britain to hear the UKPNP leader.
Shaukat Kashmiri, who is credited with openly opposing the policy of funding terror
groups to gain strategic gains in the region and he was the only leader in teh region who
strongly rejected and opposed the policy of using religion as weapon against secular and
democratic forces in the entire region and beyond since 80s, said that when he started
talking about such dangers almost two decades ago, he was branded an enemy and on
the pay of foreign forces.
“Today the fissures have erupted. The genie is out from the bottle and there is no way
you can put it back . Taliban are openly dictating their agenda to people and they have
the full support of security establishment and right wing political parties to advance their
aims.
“In my own hometown of Rawalakoat, picturesque resort, Taliban sympathizers are telling
girls to wear Niqab and Hijab and stopping them from going to schools and for shopping
on their own. Recently Lashkar-e-Tayyaba has been allotted hundreds of kilometers land
and one wonders where has the money come from.”There is wide spread resentment
found in teh local people around as well as nationalist political parties who are peacefully
striving for teh fundamantal human rights of teh people of this unfortunate region.
Shaukat Kashmiri said while Pakistan was fighting the forces of Taliban in areas of NWFP
( North Western Frontier of pakistan), under immense international pressure and there
are indications that it had woken up to the real threat of these extremists, it was
neglecting – and indeed encouraging – the Talibanisaton of so called Azad Kashmir which
can prove to be disastrous in the near future. He appealed to the elected government
and chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of this brutal practice and expose those hidden
hands who were trying to promote Taliban in pakistani Administered Kashmir, far away
from the world’s eyes.
He said the democratic government must go all the way in eliminating the Taliban
extremism and must dismantle terrorists infrastructure . He said it was not exaggeration
that fight against Talibanism and preserving democracy was Pakistan’s last stand. There
will no Pakistan left if either this set up fails or if there is no stopping of Taliban funding
by the callous mafia elements in the establishment, otherwise what is remainder of the
original Pakistan will disintegrate too and it will be very dangerous for the whole world as
well as south Asian region, he said.
He called for the recognition of different Pakistani ethnic nationalities and said that unless
the rights and prestige of different nationalitiess is not recognized, there will be no
solution to the current unrest and state of uncertainty with in pakistan. “History shows
that those nationalities whose rights were suppressed hit back with vengeance to uphold
their unique character and identity.”
He emphasized the governments of India and Pakistan to respect the wishes of Kashmiri
people and do not attempt to suppress them through means which have been tried in the
past but failed to extinguish the desire and will for the establishment of a united, secular,
multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic and democratic independent Kashmir which
can play the role of a bridge in the region simmering with tensions and that could lead to
a prosperous region.
He told the youth that United Kashmir People’s National Party was unique because it was
bringing people together from different backgrounds on the basis of a progressive and
democratic ideology. He appealed to the diaspora communities to utilize their resources
and influence to educate people in their backward areas of origin about the benefits of
democracy and civil society and not resort to only welcoming the corrupt politicians from
so called Azad Kashmir and Pakistan who frequently visiting London.
Raja Kahlid, General Secretary of the UKPNP, said the appeal of UKPNP was growing
among the masses and people were beginning to realize that only the UKPNP has a
serious agenda of making Kashmir a prosperous state. He asked people to join the
UKPNP for an alternative agenda of progress and social, political, economical and cultural
emancipation.
Syed Mujtaba Ali Shah, Information Secretary of the UKPNP, vowed that the Party will
continue to resist the Taliban and al-Qaeda elements. He said the agenda of certain
elements was to divide Kashmiris on sectarian and religious lines but appealed to
Kashmiris to stay united and defeat such exterbnal forces who are their to accomplish
their expansionist designs.
Sardar Akhtar Kashmiri said the situation in Swat had shown that wrong-headed policies
always end up in failure and do not bring any benefits to anyone. He announced that the
UKPNP will hold its national convention in London in November and delegates from all
over the world will be attending the historic convention which will lay out a revolutionary
road map for the future of former princvey State of Jammu & Kashmir.
Dr Shabir Chadhry and Sardar Afzal Tahir spoke about the under-development in so
called Azad Kashmir and Pakistani government’s lack of care towards the suffering of
poor people who were living a life below poverty line. They said the massive security
presence in the area was curbing the development of a free society and it had created a
state of fear and terror in teh region.

Among teh key noted speakers where Jamail Latif, Sardar Amjad Yousuf, Tauqeer Hussain
Meer, Ibrar Abbassi Also addressed the audiance.