London July 03 (KMS):  The fourth international peace conference on Kashmir held in the House of Commons in London has said that the right to self-determination is an inalienable and non-negotiable right of people of Jammu and Kashmir and they should be granted this right to ensure peace in the region in particular and world in general.

The conference titled ‘visions of peace’ was organized by the Executive Director Kashmir Centre London, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl and was addressed among others by Raja Zulqarnain Khan, the President AJK, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai, the Executive Director of Kashmir Centre Washington, Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, the Executive Director of Kashmir Centre Brussels, Wajid Shamas-ul-Hasan, the High Commissioner of Pakistan, Ola T lanke, the vice President of the Norwegian Parliament.

President of AJK in his inaugural address invoked international community to institute an international commission for looking into the issues of mass graves’ discovery and forced disappearances in Jammu and Kashmir. Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl in his initial remarks said that no power on the earth could suppress Kashmiris’ rightful and genuine voice. It is a moment of triumph for the people of Jammu and Kashmir whose reassertion for their identity and aspirations has been rewarded after they launched a heroic battle against the machination of India. Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo said that world must shun double standards and investigate the mass graves in occupied Kashmir by appointing an impartial international tribunal. Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai hailed the dialogue between India and Pakistan but said that there was need for making the dialogue Kashmir specific and all-inclusive. Wajid Shamsul Hassan described settlement of Kashmir issue as essential for lasting peace in the region and added that no solution could be viable if it was not acceptable to people of occupied Kashmir. Mr Ola T Lanka asserted that his government has shown a very serious concern for human rights violations particularly the mass grave issue and was raised in the Norwegian Parliament. He assured the participants that his parliamentary colleagues would keep Kashmir on international agenda till a peaceful settlement was found according to the aspirations of people of the territory.

At the end, a declaration was adopted which besides backing the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination called for setting up an international commission to look into the human rights violations in Kashmir particularly the issue of custodial disappearances and   discoveries of mass graves. It also called for demilitarisation from both the sides of line of control declaring Jammu and Kashmir a non-nuclear zone. It further said that a concerted dialogue between India and Pakistan on Kashmir should be speeded up and Kashmiris’ genuine leadership should be included in it. It also said that all political prisoners languishing in different jails and interrogation centres should be released and the draconian laws in the territory should be repealed. Kashmiri expatriates living in different parts of the world should be allowed to visit their homeland for furthering amicable and peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute, it pleaded.