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Jammu and Kashmir Dispute Has Become Urgent

To end the perennial suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, an expeditious resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute on a permanent basis has become urgent and essential was the consensus of the Parliamentarians, scholars, writers, former diplomats and academicians on the last day of the two day international Kashmir peace conference in Washington, which was organized by the Kashmiri American Council and Association of Humanitarian Lawyers.

Hopes were pinned on the visit of the United States President who has been working on persuading India to resolve the Kashmir dispute during his visit to New Delhi towards the close of the year.

The Conference was being held at a time when Jammu and Kashmir was once again on the edge. To take the beleaguered state out of the predicament it continues to suffer, four eminent scholars made their theme presentation on the subject "Kashmir: A Way Forward."

The scholars that made theme presentations included Prof. Stanly Wolpert, University of California, Los Angeles, Prof. Joseph E Schwartberg Distinguished International Emeritus, International Emeritus Professor, Amb: Kuldip Nayar, Former Indian High Commission to UK, Amb: Muhammad Yusuf Buch, Former Senior Advisor to the UN Secretary General. The presentation was followed by thorough discussion by an eminent group of panelist.

Prof. Stanley Wolpert in his presentation called upon the United States to do whatever it can to expedite the resolution of Kashmiri conflict, which has taken a greater toll of human suffering and wasted resources than any other South Asian Catastrophe since the partition of British India.

He hoped that when President Obama visits India in November he will assure Indian Prime Minster, Manmohan Singh, of America's commitment to assist him in possible way to expedite the resolution of Kashmir.

Prof Schweartberg called upon India and Pakistan to resolve the dispute without adding needlessly to the streams of blood and tears that have so far been Kashmir's unfortunate lot.

Amb: Kuldip Nayar dwelled in detail on the birth of the problem and mistakes committed in the past that have delayed the resolution of the problem, called upon India and Pakistan to hold talks on the resolution of the Kashmir issue and to involve the people of the state in the dialogue process.

Amb: Yusuf Buch in his presentation emphasized the need for involving the United Nations in the dialogue process between India and Pakistan. He said that no solution could be successful that does not carry within it the spirit of the United Nations Resolution on Kashmir.

The theme papers were discussed by a group of eminent panelists that included Mr. Ved Bhasin, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Dr. Attiyah Inyatullah, Dr. Maleeh Lodhi, Sentator Mushaid Hussein, Zahid G Muhammad, Prof. Anagana Chatterji, Ms. Rita Manchanda, Mr. Muhammad Afzal Sindhu, Advocate Sareer Fazili, Dr. Khalid Qazi, Prof. Hafeez Malik, Prof. Faizanul Haq, Prof. Richard Shaparo, Ahmed Bilal Soofi, Jitender Bakshi, Dr. Nisar Chowdhary, Senator Akbar Khawaja, Dr. Farhan Chak and Muhammad Aslam Khan, Sareer Fazali. Muzzammil Thakur, Professor Maqsood Jafri, Ali Shahnawaz Khan, Dr. Wasiullah Khan, Dr. Mohammad Hafeez Jvaid, Dr. Altaf Wani, Mr. Khalid Farooqi, Mr. Zareef Khan, Sardar Niaz Hussain, Ms. Attiqa Akbar, Mr. Malik Nadeem Abid and Mr. Zubair Khan.

The concluding remarks were given by Dr, Ghulam Nabi Fai , Executive Director Kashmir American Council/Kashmir Center and Dr. Karen Parker of the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers.

Prominent British Writer and Kashmir Expert Victoria Schofield summed up the proceeding of the two-day conference followed by unanimous adoption of a resolution.

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Washington: 30 July 2010:

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council/Kashmir Center asked that a one minute silence was observed by about two hundred scholars, parliamentarians and diplomats in memory of the teenagers and youth killed in police firing at Srinagar and Sopore on Friday here today.

On the second day of the eleventh International Kashmir Peace Conference in the Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room, on Capitol Hill, rich tributes were paid to the young men who were killed in the police firings in various parts of Kashmir during past few minutes.

A deep anguish was expressed over the 'jailing' of the six million people of Kashmir valley for the past month by imposing restrictions and curfew without any surcease. Participants in the conference expressed their solidarity with the beleaguered people of Kashmir who have been suffering an interrupted curfew and called upon Amnesty International and the International Red Cross to come forward to provide medicine and food to the besieged population.