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After over 40 years of most unjust apathy towards Kashmiris and Kashmir issue, the world has now started paying some attention to it, thanks to the dangerous situation created by nuclear tests by India and Pakistan in May 1998 as also by armed freedom struggle started by Kashmiris in 1988. Now that Kashmir has attracted attention of the world, specially of those who are in a position to persuade India and Pakistan to solve it, it is in the fitness of things that those who want to get the issue solved are provided and equipped with a practicable formula and fool-proof Roadmap to solve the Kashmir issue peacefully, equitably, honourably, democratically and permanently. To perform that all-important duty, Mr. Amanullah Khan, Chairman JKLF, a person whose in-depth study of the historical, economic, strategic, psychological, political and diplomatic aspects of the issue and of matters related to it, is well known, has conceived a formula and a Roadmap to implement it and both have been approved by the Policy Planning Committee and Central Executive Committee of JKLF. The Formula and the Roadmap are explained in the following pages and are self-explanatory. Besides meeting the basic as well as secondary requirements of a practicable, equitable and permanent solution of the issue, this Roadmap is equipped with best possible fool-proof plan to implement it peacefully and phase-wise. And, if it has the practical support of the international community, India, Pakistan and of the people of Kashmir, there is no reason why this 55 years old issue, which has turned into a very dangerous powder-keg, can not be solved once and for all thereby defusing it before it explodes to cause un-imaginable destruction. We appeal to international community, to the people and the governments of India and Pakistan and to our fellow countrymen…..Kashmiris, to play their part positively and effectively to bring about formal agreement on the principles and procedures governing the Roadmap and to facilitate its smooth and peaceful implementation. Thanks.
S. M. Afzal
India and Pakistan, two of the most populous countries of South Asia having tremendous economic potentials and the only two atomic powers in the region, have fought three wars during their 56 years long life as free and Independent states, sacrificing tens of thousands of precious lives and destroying each others property worth hundreds of billions of rupees. They have been spending bulk of their budgets on defence keeping a big part of their population below poverty line otherwise their economic potentials could have made them two of the most developed countries of Afrasia. More often than not, these two neighbours have been vilifying and ridiculing each other even in international fora and in the process making a laughing stock of themselves. There are no two opinions that the main cause of this devastating animosity between India and Pakistan is Kashmir Issue although the Hindu-Muslim divide created during the years immediately preceding division of the British Colony of South Asia and creation of India and Pakistan as two independent states had some bearing too. The two new states fought their first war on and in Kashmir immediately after their birth in 1947. Though fire was ceased in the battlefield in January 1949, the media war continues to date except for a few short intervals, with the result that the religious fanatics and the political, military, bureaucratic and journalistic hawks in each country are at draggers drawn against the other country. Their respective governments also went to extremes in their efforts to harm the other country. India’s naked aggression and military invasion of East Pakistan in 1971 was the main and immediate cause of disintegration of Pakistan and Pakistan’s actions in Kashmir in 1947, 1965 and 1999 and her support to Kashmiri freedom fighters have been harassing and agonizing India. India and Pakistan have been at the brink of war, of even an atomic one, a number of times. SAARC, the South Asian Association for Regional co-operation stands paralyzed due to enmity between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan believes that as a state over 77% of whose population is Muslim, Kashmir should form part of Pakistan as per Two Nation Theory which caused division of the Sub-continent into two independent states. On the other hand India argues that since the right to determine the future of 562 princely states of the Sub-continent was given to their respective rulers and the ruler of Kashmir had brought about the accession of his state to India, Kashmir is the integral and constitutional part of that country i.e., India. Although both the claims have weighty flaws, both countries have stuck to their flawed claims, hence the continued strain in their relations. The flaw with Pakistans practical (though not formally official) claim is that the Two Nation Theory applied only to British India (areas of the sub-continent then directly under British rule) and not to semi-independent princely states including Kashmir. This fact was accepted even by the father of Pakistani nation Quid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah through his policy statements issued on June 17, July 11 and July 30, 1947 in which he had said clearly that princely states could not automatically become part of India or Pakistan but had the right to join India or Pakistan or declare complete independence. India’s claim of Kashmir being her integral part by virtue of Kashmir ruler’s accession to India on October 26, 1947 is flawed firstly because that accession did not enjoy the support of Kashmiri people and secondly and more importantly because by agreeing to and signing the UN resolution of 13th August 1948 (about ten months after the ‘accession’) which provided that the future constitutional status of Kashmir would be determined by Kashmiri people through a plebiscite to be held under UN supervision, India had practically and as a matter of principle, abandoned her claim of Kashmir being her integral part the moment she signed the UN resolution as no state or government can agree to have a plebiscite, much less an internationally supervised one, held in her own integral part. In short Pakistans claim that Kashmir should necessarily become her part because of its Muslim majority and India’s claim of Kashmir being her integral part by virtue of Kashmiri rulers accession to India, are grossly flawed and unjustified.
Nobody can deny the hard fact that Kashmir is the main cause of continuous strain in India-Pakistan relations and most of other causes are the off-shoots of this issue. Once Kashmir issue is solved to reasonable satisfaction of all the three parties (India, Pakistan and Kashmir) all other issues will follow suit. For instance the matter concerning Siachin and Woolar Barrage will be solved automatically as these issues are part of Kashmir issue. Other issues like trade, use of air space, sports etc will be solved once the strain in India-Pakistan relations is reduced due to resolution of Kashmir issue.
THE UNDENIABLE FACT Yet another undeniable and more important fact is that whereas Kashmir Issue remaining unresolved can subject the entire region inhabited by over one fifth of humanity, to horrors of the fourth war between India and Pakistan and this time an atomic one and even so long as a war does not take place, will keep sucking the blood of their economies, a satisfactory resolution of the Issue can herald the dawn of a peaceful, prosperous and respectful future for all the three i.e. India, Pakistan and Kashmir.
While looking for a peaceful, equitable, democratic, honourable and permanent solution of Kashmir Issue, the following facts and bitter realities can and should not be lost sight of: -
a) That both India and Pakistan have made Kashmir a matter of their national ego and have attached it to their important national interests like national security and national ideology (Specially to India’s secular statecraft). Hence any solution of Kashmir issue that hurts the national ego of India or Pakistan or harms their genuine national interests, will not be acceptable to them hence will not be practicable. b) Indians are badly mistaken if they think they can get away with Kashmir without ultimately paying an unimaginably heavy price, far heavier than Kashmir. Pakistanis are equally mistaken if they think that Indian occupied part of Kashmir will fall into their lap sooner or later. c) India and Pakistan cannot solve Kashmir issue through bilateral talks as they have not been able to do it during last over half a century. The only India-Pakistan dispute solved during this period was the dispute over waters, which was solved more by the World Bank President than by India and Pakistan. As such, the issue cannot be solved without mediation, arbitration or facilitation by an institution or a committee with a strong diplomatic muscle and guarantee of impartiality. d) No solution of Kashmir issue not based on national aspirations and freely expressed will of the people of the entire Jammu Kashmir state including all areas that comprised it on August 14, 1947 the day when, by dint of Indian Independence Act, Kashmir became a fully independent state, can prove durable. History provides enough evidence to that effect. e) Any solution of Kashmir issue based on division of the state on religious, cultural or regional basis can result in large-scale massacres by fanatics and mass migrations. As many as over three hundred thousand people mainly Muslims of Jammu and also non-Muslims of the areas that came under direct or indirect control of Pakistan i.e. Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, were killed in November 1947 alone. f) Pakistan and India blame each other for UN resolutions on Kashmir remaining un-implemented. Irrespective of who is right and who is wrong on this issue, these resolutions have, for all practical purposes, become impracticable now because I. The resolutions provide that Pakistan should withdraw all its armed forces from Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan before India even starts withdrawal of its forces and will have to withdraw only bulk of them. Can Pakistan take such a risk, especially in the light of Indian claim of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan being its integral parts? II. The UN resolutions offer only two options (of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan or India) to Kashmiris. Will and can they (Kashmiris) abandon their demand for complete independence?
III. In the UN proposed plebiscite limiting Kashmiri’s choice only to accession of Kashmir to India or Pakistan, the result will almost definitely be in favour of state’s accession to Pakistan. Will India handover its occupied part of Kashmir to Pakistan? Irrespective of whether or not Pakistan, Kashmiris and India are justified to do so, their answers to all these questions will definitely be a blunt “no”. That clearly means that implementation of UN resolutions is practically impracticable. As such, is it not better to look for some other solution that is practicable as well as equitable and honourable? These bitter realities have got to be kept in mind and made the basis for the solution of Kashmir Issue.
There are two objections mainly from some Pakistanis and Kashmiris to our Kashmir Formula which forms the basis for this Roadmap. The first objection is that we should not present formulas before India agrees to discuss Kashmir with Pakistan or Kashmiris. Our stand on the argument is that India will agree to discuss Kashmir only if she is offered a recipe through which Kashmir issue can be solved without hurting her (India’s) national ego and without harming her legitimate national interests. India cannot be persuaded to talk about Kashmir by parroting the rhetorics of “Kashmir Banega Pakistan”, “Kashmir being Pakistans Jugular vein” or “a test for the Two Nation Theory”. Although India usually refuses to accept outside interference in Kashmir issue, she has been accepting it when she thinks it suits her interests. She herself took the issue to the UN, accepted UN resolutions, approached P-5 ambassadors in New Dehli during collective, unarmed and peaceful march to Line of Control (LoC) by over 15000 JKLF activists on Feb 12, 1992. This JKLF Roadmap benefits India, Pakistan and Kashmiris. As such, it can attract the attention of every reasonable Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri, hence we should not hesitate to offer a reasonable solution. The second objection is as to who will implement the formula. To this question we say that the UN Secretary General, the Security Council and G8 stand committed under the UN Security Council’s unanimous resolution No 1172 of June 1998 and the resolution of G8 also of June 1998 both pledging to extend all possible help to undo the strain in India-Pakistan relations which can be done only through an equitable and permanent solution of Kashmir issue. Moreover it is the moral and national duty of all those in India, Pakistan, Kashmir and elsewhere in the world who want peace, prosperity and tranquility in South Asia, to try to persuade the governments of India and Pakistan, the political parties of entire Jammu Kashmir State and the international community to take steps conducive to acceptance and implementation of this Roadmap that leads to the cherished goal of ensuring permanent peace, prosperity and tranquility for South Asia. I earnestly hope they will perform this duty.
Amanullah Khan,
The Objective The objective of this Roadmap is to take the South Asian nations India and Pakistan which have fought three wars (and have been close to the fourth and an atomic one several times) taking lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, subjecting a greater number to un- imaginable miseries and poverty and destroying property worth hundreds of billions on one hand and endangering world peace on the other, to a position where a peaceful, prosperous and respectful life is ensured for both of them and freedom for Kashmir which has suffered the most.
The only peaceful, practicable, equitable, democratic and honorable way to achieve the above objective keeping in mind the sweet and bitter realities explained in the preceding pages, is to reunite the divided Jammu Kashmir State in five peaceful phases, under the supervision of an International Kashmir Committee (IKC) to be appointed by the United Nations Secretary General and with the consent and cooperation of India, Pakistan and Kashmiri political parties of both sides of the divided Jammu Kashmir State and to make it a fully independent country with a democratic, federal and secular system of government and having compulsory friendly relations with both India and Pakistan who should also guarantee that they would not violate the frontiers or interfere in the internal affairs of Kashmir who will, in return, undertake not to allow her land to be used by any country against any other. Fifteen years after re-unification and independence, there be a UN supervised free and fair referendum in which the people of Jammu Kashmir will determine whether they should continue as a free nation or become part of India or Pakistan and that popular verdict be accepted by all concerned (India, Pakistan, all Kashmiris and the international community) as final settlement of Kashmir issue and implemented. The IKC should comprise one nominee each of the UN Secretary General, P-5 Countries, European Union, The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Germany and Japan.
THE FIRST PHASE: The UN Secretary General should, in compliance of the Security Council resolution No. 1172 of June 7, 1998 in which the world body has unanimously undertaken to take steps conducive to undoing the strain in Indo-Pak relations which can be best done by helping to solve Kashmir issue, form the proposed IKC. The IKC should then sit and chalk out details of the steps to be taken in the light of the gist of the formula explained earlier. Its second step of the first phase will be to discuss the matter with the governments of India and Pakistan and with the heads of the political parties on both sides of the cease-fire line (CFL) in Kashmir, officially termed as Line of Control (LoC) after Shimla Accord of 1972 between India and Pakistan. The IKC will convince India, Pakistan and Kashmiri leaders (political and militant) that the proposed solution of Kashmir issue is in the best interests of all of them and persuade them to cooperate in its implementation. The IKC will also ask the UN Secretary General to increase the number of UN military observers stationed in Kashmir since 1948 to facilitate withdrawal of India and Pakistan armed forces and non-Kashmiri militants from the state, disarming of Kashmiri militants and anti-militancy armed personnel as also repatriation of displaced Kashmiris. The IKC will also take an undertaking from the international community in general and from the immediate neighbors of Kashmir in particular that they will neither interfere in internal affairs nor violate the frontiers of the re-united Kashmir and IKC will undertake that the government of re-united Kashmir will not allow any country to use its territory against any other country. This undertaking will be renewed during phase iv to and by Kashmir after first elected government is installed there which will also bring the responsibilities of IKC to an end. The whole programmme be chalked out in a way that the first four phases are accomplished within 18 months of formation of IKC. THE SECOND PHASE: This will be the phase of demilitarization of the entire Jammu Kashmir. All Indian and Pakistani armed forces, Para-military forces, civil servants, civil and military intelligence personnel, in short all Indian and Pakistani nationals serving or engaged in business in any part of Jammu Kashmir State will start withdrawing from the state simultaneously and will complete it within an agreed period. Mines and explosives planted on or near the CFL will be defused before withdrawing by the party that had planted them. The vaccum created in civil services etc. due to these withdrawals, will be fulfilled by the concerned governments and (in case of Gilgit Baltistan) by local administration in consultation with IKC. This phase will also include withdrawal of all (if any) armed people of Pakistan, India or any other country present in any part of Kashmir to fight against Indians or pro-Pakistan people. All of them will leave the State along with their arms under the supervision of IKC and in cooperation with their respective organizations and the governments of India and Pakistan who will ask the armed people under their influence to withdraw peacefully. IKC will make it sure that no armed clashes take place during withdrawal between armed forces and militants. IKC will be helped by UN military observers. THE THIRD PHASE: The main item of the third phase will be disarming of anti-India and pro-India armed civilians by IKC in cooperation with all Kashmiri political and militant organizations and with the support of the governments of the State, of India and Pakistan who will persuade militants under their influence to disarm themselves and hand-over their arms to the authorities. At the end of disarming of militants those State nationals who had left their homes after 1989 and are living elsewhere (in India, Jammu and Azad Kashmir) will be facilitated to return to their respective homes. Those Kashmiris who left the state in 1947, 1965 or 1971 and are living in India, Pakistan or elsewhere since, will have to choose Jammu Kashmir, India, Pakistan or their new country of residence as their permanent homelands. During the period starting from the end of the second phase to the end of the fourth phase, the local administration responsible for maintaining law and order will be helped by UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan) to be strengthened for this period and purpose. THE FOURTH PHASE: In this phase, IKC will, with the cooperation of the administrative authorities of different areas of the State, open for peaceful traffic all those roads connecting Indian controlled parts of the State with those under Pakistans control which had been closed as a result of the cease-fire in Kashmir on Jan. 1, 1949. The traffic may be arranged in a way that there is no undue inconvenience for public or blockade of the goods of common use. The administrative and judicial set-up of all the three regions (Indian controlled, Pakistan controlled parts and Azad Kashmir) will continue as usual but the IKC will establish a National Government at Srinagar(the capital of Kashmir) representing all regions and religions of the State, main political parties and the supporters of all the three ideologies (pro-India, pro-Pakistan and pro-Independence) until a National Parliament is elected. The legislative assemblies of Indian controlled Kashmir, Azad Kashmir and Legislative Council of Gilgit Baltistan will form the transitional National Assembly. This National Government will work under IKC supervision. IKC will appoint, in consultation with the National Government, a Constitution Committee of constitutional experts and ask it to prepare an interim constitution for the State within three months providing for five provinces i.e. Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan for the re-united State. It should also provide for a bicameral Parliament with lower House based on population and upper house having equal representation of all the five provinces which should also enjoy reasonable internal autonomy and within three months after preparation of interim constitution there be free elections to the National (Constituent) Assembly and Provincial assemblies on the basis of already existing electoral rolls of all the five proposed provinces, under the supervision of IKC. One month before these elections the National Government be dissolved. All the political parties be allowed to convess, project their political ideologies and participate in the elections. The new government formed as a result of these elections will ask for its recognition by international community and establish its diplomatic missions in important capitals. There will be general elections after every five years or when otherwise required. IKC will arrange for funds (on loan if not aid) for initial development and administrative expenses. Although the basic job of IKC will be over after establishment of the first elected government but it will have to make sure that the agreements regarding security and integrity of Kashmir are honoured by all concerned. THE FIFTH PHASE: 15 years after re-unification and independence of Jammu Kashmir, there be a referendum under UN auspices to determine whether Jammu Kashmir should retain its independence for ever or become part of India or Pakistan. If the majority goes for independence that will be the final settlement of the issue and every concerned quarter i.e. India, Pakistan and their supporters in Jammu Kashmir as also the international community will recognize its independence for ever. And if the majority of the votes in the referendum goes against independence, let there be another referendum and ask the people whether they want the State to become part of India or of Pakistan or choose any other solution, and that popular verdict be accepted by all concerned as a final settlement of the issue and implemented peacefully and without hesitation. And that will bring to completion the Formula evolved and the Roadmap followed to solve Kashmir Issue peacefully, equitably, honorably, democratically and permanently. We earnestly hope, the formula will achieve its noble objective. It surely will, provided it is accepted and implemented with sincerity of purpose by all concerned.
1) The proposal (The JKLF Formula) solves Kashmir issue without hurting the national ego of India or Pakistan as neither is asked to hand over the Kashmir territory under its control to the other. 2) By dint of the proposed guarantees by India, Pakistan and Kashmir, the solution subjects the security and other national interest of none of them to any danger or risk. 3) The proposal safeguards the national ideology of both India and Pakistan particularly India’s secular statecraft. In short it meets all the preconditions and requirements of a peaceful, practicable, equitable, honourable and permanent solution of Kashmir Issue. 4) This solution changes Kashmir from the position of a poisonous bone of contention into a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan. 5) Kashmir having compulsory friendly relations with both India and Pakistan can richly benefit all the three in trade and commerce as also in defence. 6) Once Kashmir Issue is solved satisfactorily, India and Pakistan can drag their populace out from below the poverty line. 7) Once Kashmir issue is solved satisfactorily, all other disputes between India and Pakistan will be solved in due course of time, some of them like the ones concerning Siachin and Woolar Barrage, automatically and immediately. 8) While enemies, India and Pakistan have been harming and even insulting each other even in international fora whereas as friends which they will surely become as a result of solution of Kashmir issue, they can play very important and respectful role in international relations, thereby raising their national images to unimaginable heights. 9) The ultimate solution of Kashmir issue per this Formula and Roadmap will be based on Kashmiris’ national aspirations and freely expressed will. 10)The Formula and the Roadmap will solve Kashmir issue without shedding even one drop of blood whereas its non-resolution has cost hundreds of thousands of precious lives and may cost many more. 11)This solution of Kashmir issue saves the entire South Asia from the horrors of the probable fourth India-Pakistan and the first atomic war and ensures for it a peaceful, prosperous and respectful future 12)With so much to gain (please have another glance on all the gains explained in the preceding 11 items) and so little to lose (parting with their controlled parts of Kashmir), won’t India and Pakistan be committing a suicidal folly if they refuse to accept this proposal and the Roadmap that take them to the ideal destination of durable peace, prosperity and tranquility for the entire South Asia? They surely will be. Let us hope sanity and prudence overcome undue intransigence and selfishness. With the states and the people of India, Pakistan and Kashmir and the world at large so much to gain and so little to lose (please go through item 12 above again) from the proposed solution of Kashmir issue following the proposed Roadmap, JKLF appeals in particular to UN Secretary General, the Security Council and the G-8 to honour their pledges given per their resolutions of June 1998 and to the governments, the political parties, the media, the intelligentsia and human rights organizations in India, Pakistan, Kashmir and worldover, to take steps conducive to implementation of the proposed solution following the proposed Roadmap. Thanks.
Quid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah (The
Founder of Pakistan)
“……The
second question that is engaging the attention of the Muslims of Kashmir is
whether Kashmir is going to join the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. I have
already made it clear more than once that the Indian states are free to join
either the Pakistan Constituent Assembly or the Hindustan Constituent Assembly
or to remain independent………”
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru (The first Prime
Minister of free India)
Chief of Indian UN Delegation G. S. Ayengar
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former President of
Pakistan:
Mohammad Nawaz Sharif (Former Prime
Minister of Pakistan):
1. Officially termed as Jammu Kashmir State and surrounded by Pakistan, India, China and Afghanistan, Kashmir has a population of over 15 million, more than individual populations of as many as132 independent nations of the world 2. For longer part of its history, Kashmir has been an independent country with its frontiers expanding and shrinking periodically. Kashmir reached the zenith of its glory and prosperity during its independence. 3. The economic potentials of Kashmir are such that within a decade or two of its re-unification and independence, it can become the most prosperous country of the region. Kashmir is called “Switzerland of Asia” and “Nature’s Show-Window” for its fascinating natural beauty and climate most pleasant and full of health. Kashmir valley and Gilgit Baltistan in particular are famous the world-over also for dozens of sky high-peaks including K-2 and Nanga Parbat. All this can invite millions of tourists every year. Kashmir is very rich in water resources and can generate electricity on a large scale that is badly needed by its neighboring countries. Fruit, timber, minerals and herbs are found in abundance in different parts of the State. The handicrafts of Kashmir, famous the world-over, can prove a valuable asset. Watch making industry, already functioning in Srinagar on a small scale, can be developed. 4. The overall literacy rate in Kashmir is higher than that of both India and Pakistan. 5. Both India and Pakistan are committed, through their declarations made on national and international level, to concede independence to Kashmir. 6. At the time Pakistani tribesmen and Indian armed forces invaded it in October 1947, Kashmir was a fully independent State, the British paramountcy over it having ended on August 15, 1947 when the British had quit the Sub-Continent. 7. Kashmir has an area of 222,000 sq. Kms. spread over five regions, Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh under Indian control since 1948 and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan under Pakistan. The population of Indian administrated areas is about 10 million and those living in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and abroad number over 5 million.
1. Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front commonly known as JKLF was formed in Birmingham, England on May 29, 1977 and is the offshoot of Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front and JK Plebiscite Front formed in 1965 in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. 2. The main political and emotional inispirant of JKLF, Shaheed Maqbool Ahamd Butt was sent to gallows by India on Feb. 11, 1984 after keeping him behind the bars for over ten years. He was also in prison in Pakistan for over three years. His only crime was his exemplary Kashmiri patriotism. 3. After failing to attract due attention of Indian government and international community towards Kashmir issue and JKLF ideology (re-unification and complete independence of Kashmir) through hectic but peaceful activities and appeals on national and international level for eleven long years, JKLF had no alternative but to start armed freedom struggle in Kashmir which it did in 1988 to attract world attention to its just cause. 4. JKLF was the only organization in the field of armed freedom struggle for over 18 months. A number of times JKLF sponsored rallies in Srinagar attracted about half a million people. But brutal suppression from Indian army and strong opposition from Pakistan backed religious militant organizations pushed JKLF to secondary position, which is a temporary phase. 5. Opposition to JKLF (headed by Mr. Amanulah Khan ) and its ideology is perhaps the only thing common between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir issue. At one stage Mr. Amanullah khan was (and still is) under international warrants of arrest issued by Interpol on India’s behest based on concocted stories and at the same time was on Exit Control List (ECL) issued by Pakistan government. He has spent 15 months in British prisons (followed by deportation), 72 days in Belgian Prisons, 15 months in Pakistan prisons in addition to arrests and short detentions about a dozen times. His only crime being his continuous struggle for his national emancipation. 6. JKLF tried thrice to cross the Cease Fire Line (CFL) in Kashmir peacefully with thousands of unarmed activists but Pakistan government disallowed them even to reach the Cease Fire Line. During their first attempt on Feb. 12, 1992 Pakistan Army opened fire on about 15000 marchers killing 8 and injuring over 50 on the spot near CFL. It was also on this occasion that India, that had been arguing that Kashmir was not an international issue, was forced to beg to the United States and Russia to come to her rescue by pressurising Pakistan not to allow JKLF activists to reach the CFL which the two big powers did and Pakistan obliged them at our cost. 7. Indian army killed 26 JKLF members including Zonal President Shabbir Siddiqui and almost entire political cadre on March 30, 1996 by bombarding its headquarters near Hazratbal in Srinagar. Only a week earlier Indian army had killed 11 JKLF commanders including the Chief Commander Basharat Raza. 8. JKLF is the only Kashmiri organization functioning in Indian held Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, Middle East, Europe and USA inspite of efforts by the anti-independence (of Kashmir) agencies to annihilate it. It got disintegrated several times. 9. As the main secular nationalist Kashmiri organization functioning without any sort of external support or patronage, JKLF is always short of financial resources which compels it to abandon most of its programmes. Nevertheless JKLF is of the view that facing such problems is far better than acting as stooges of selfish external forces. 10. JKLF was the first Kashmiri organization to arrange well attended rallies and protest demonstrations in Europe and New York to attract world attention towards Kashmir issue. 11. JKLF is not an enemy of the people or sovereignty of Pakistan or India but is struggling for Kashmiris’ inherent, inalienable, internationally recognized and pledged but now denied right to reunite their forcibly divided motherland and make it a fully independent state that it has been for most of its long history and in which lies its real emancipation. 12. JKLF has most sound, undeniable and historical reasons to claim that its Formula and the Roadmap provide the only peaceful, practicable, equitable, democratic and honourable way to ensure permanent peace, prosperity and tranquility for entire South Asia inhabited by over one fifth of humanity provided India, Pakistan and international community see reason and realize their responsibilities. |
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 Amanullah Khan discussing with foreign diplomats |
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 JKLF UK Presenting Roadmap to British Foreign Office |
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