SRINAGAR: Terming the soft approach of United Nations and India’s stubbornness in resolving Kashmir issue as main reasons behind lingering of the longstanding Kashmir dispute, Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir (HCJK) senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah Sunday said the peace in south Asia will remain a distant dream without resolving the issue.
“It is due to UN’s soft approach vis-à-vis Kashmir issue and India’s stubbornness in coming forward to resolve the issue that prompted several wars between the two nuclear neighboring nations,” Shah said while addressing a public gathering at Karhama, Ganderbal.
While strongly condemning India’s claim of Kashmir being its integral part, Shah said “Kashmir is not an issue between New Delhi and Srinagar but an issue between Kashmiri resistance leadership, India and Pakistan to resolve which tripartite dialogue is needed.”
Kashmir is not a dispute between New Delhi and Srinagar but Pakistan is also a prime party to this dispute. Until or unless a tripartite dialogue is not held, there is no possibility of reaching to any conclusion,” Shah said.
“If suppose UN resolutions fail to resolve the Kashmir issue, tripartite talks provide the best possible solution,” Shah added.
Commenting on the agreements held between India and Pakistan, Shah said “bilateral agreements didn’t help resolving the matter.”
“The issue is at same point as it was. Even the agreements between Kashmiris and New Delhi failed to resolve the issue,” he said.
Appealing people to completely boycott the upcoming polls, Shah said “we have to give a clear message to the world that there is a freedom struggle going on in Kashmir and this election drama is a political trap to mislead people and world bodies.”
“We must refrain from every such activity that is detrimental to our freedom struggle and the mission of our martyrs by whose sacrifices Kashmir issue rose to international level,” he said, adding “We are the guardians of their invaluable sacrifices and will continue our genuine struggle for freedom till its logical conclusion.”
Hurriyat leaders, Shabir Ahmad Dar, Muhammad Yusuf Naqash, Wajhat Qureshi, Muhammad Yaseen Ataee, Salfi Fayaz and others also spoke on the occasion.

Reader correspondent