Pakistan failed to abide by the International Law, PNP

London, Sep 24, 2009, a protest organized by United Kashmir People National Party in front of Pakistan High Commission London.  The protest started at 2pm and ended 4pm after handing over a petition to the High Commission over to the question of Gilgit Baltistan.

The petition high lighted the point that the question of rights of the people of Gilgit Baltistan arises due to the vacuum created by the authority of the Government of Pakistan, that was not implementing the UNCIP resolutions. The people, both AJK and Gilgit Baltistan dully protected by the UNCIP resolutions but every successive Government in Islamabad failed to abide by the International Law that deal the subject territory of the State.

The petition acknowledged the on going struggle in Gilgit Baltistan and pledge to continue their movement of protest in order to press the demands to implement the UNCIP resolutions. 

The protestors continue raising slogans “IS PAR BE MANGHAN AZADI US PAR BE MANGHAN AZADI ( freedom on both sides i.e. Pakistani and Indian), we want united and Independent Kashmir, we support the just struggle of the people of Gilgit Baltistan, No to terrorism, yes to democracy. No to violence, yes to peace. No to so-called package, yes to UNCIP resolutions.

The participants amongst others were, Usman Kiyani, Jameel Latif, Khalid Raja, Zafar Chughtai, Saqib Rafique, Akhtar Kashmiri, Mujtaba Shah and Irfan Khan. Afzal Tahir of KIF was also present.


Following is the text of the petition: 

HE Mr. Wajid Shamsul Hasan

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to UK, 

High Commission of Pakistan

London, UK.

 

Dear Mr. Hasan,

 

                                     Sub: Gilgit Baltistan

 

The United Kashmir People’s National Party organized today’s protest in front of Pakistan High Commission, London, to express anger against the Government of Pakistan’s recent so-called empowerment package for Gilgit Baltistan, and  our observations of such move at this time is nothing but an intention by the Pakistan Government to create a division among the people of the State based on false assumptions, that the Kashmir question, is a question of ethnicity or religion.  

The people of Kashmir means, the people of Jammu, Valley, Ladakh, Baltistan, Gilgit and Poonch (AJK).  The State of Kashmir, or Jammu and Kashmir as officially known, is a multi-national, multi-religion, multi-ethnic. The question of the right to self-determination, is in the modern sense, that, is a Country under foreign forces such as the Afghanistan and Iraq are under US and other forces through a mandate by the UN.

There is no disagreement between the people of different Nations, Nationalities or religious group on the question of the Unity and Integrity of the State of Kashmir in the historical context, and whose territory had been dully recognized by the Government of Pakistan, India and the United Nations through it’s various resolutions and bilateral treaties.

The people of AJK and Gilgit Baltistan been dully recognized by the UNCIP resolutions to run their affairs by themselves under the supervision of the UNCIP Commission. The successive Governments of Pakistan for last sixty-two years, failed to recognized this aspect of International Law to implement, had created a vacuum of any system of safe-guard, the fundamental, human, political, cultural and economic rights of the people of Gilgit Baltistan. Therefore, the present government too, instead of implementing the International Law under UN and UNCIP resolutions, came out with new “mantra” of “empowerment” package. In fact, it gives more empowerment to the government of Pakistan in it’s pursuit of expansionism over to the territory of our Country, rather than to the people of Gilgit Baltistan.

The Government of Pakistan instead of to withdraw it’s presence from the territory of the State and let the people to look after by themselves as the International Law required, violated even the historical traditions of the people that had been protected by the state subject laws. The fact of the matter is that both AJK and Gilgit Baltistan been exploited socially, culturally and economically.

 We want to make it crystal clear to the Government of Pakistan, that any attempt  of expansionistic motives over to the territory of the State, whether Jammu, AJK, Gilgit Baltistan or any other part, would be resisted at all cost, with full vigour and unity of it’s people.   

Today’s protest demands are as follows:-

 

a) That, the Government of Pakistan must act and act now to implement the requirements under the UN and the UNCIP resolutions.   

b) That, we stand united with the people of Gilgit Baltistan in support of their historical struggle for the rights that had been granted under the UNCIP resolutions.

c) That, this movement of protest for the implementation of the UNCIP resolutions in it’s letter and sprit would continue till the withdrawal of Pakistani presence from the territory of the State.

 

Handed over to the High Commission of Pakistan London on 24 Sep 2009 after the protest.

 

Signed by: Usman Kiyani President UKPNP Britain

 Also signed by Afzal Tahir on behalf of KIF.