The Hindu : International / India & World : Militant leader wants PoK to be base camp

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 02, 2004

International

International - India & World

Militant leader wants PoK to be base camp

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MAY 1. Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, chief of the parent outfit of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, has not only denounced the India-Pakistan peace process as meaningless but also asked the Pakistan Government to declare Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as the base camp for the militants to carry out military strikes in Jammu and Kashmir.

He was addressing a `Kashmir Conference' at PoK capital Muzafarabad on Saturday. Prof. Saeed told the gathering that the militants followed the road map drawn by the Allah and it was necessary that the PoK be declared a base camp for jehadis to launch attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Since the freedom fighters are following the roadmap being guided by Allah Subhantalla and are defending all freedom movements to get Kashmir free from the forces of occupation (India), it is necessary to declare AJK as a base camp to facilitate all those struggling to get independence," he was quoted as saying.

The Kashmir conference was attended by most of the leaders of PoK political parties including Sardar Attiq Khan, president of the ruling Muslim Conference.

Prof. Saeed hailed Kashmirs for boycotting the Indian general elections. "Jihad is the only way to acquire economic and social power and in case of Kashmir it is very much relevant as the independence of Kashmir based on the only slogan that is Kalma-e-Tayyba," he said.

Prof. Saeed said jihad remained relevant even after 9/11. "I want to avail myself of this opportunity to say that jihad was very much relevant in case of Kashmir and nobody could stop the freedom fighters from their objective of throwing away the forces of occupation from their homeland.

Dawa's leader for PoK, Maulana Abdul Aziz, said, "We will not accept any roadmap for resolving the Kashmir dispute other than complete independence and total departure of the occupied forces from the India-held Kashmir."

He urged Pakistan to end to the ceasefire line dividing two Kashmir so that the leaders of both the sides of Kashmir should sit together for the betterment of the people of Kashmir.

Atiq Khan said, "We have got Azad Jammu and Kashmir through jihad. India is a big power but we would continue resisting its occupation in the besieged valley. If Berlin Wall could fall then a barbered wire has no worth and could be wrapped anytime."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Joyous welcome for new members

Six westerners die in Saudi attack

13 Indian fishermen arrested

Getting their due

U.N. forum's concern over asylum law

The croc hunt resumes

Bomb aboard Kanishka exploded in cargo area: expert

U.K. troops face allegations of torture in Iraq

Bush reiterates commitment on Iraq

He is not cool to this puff

U.S. military apologises for prison abuse

Two more NRIs appointed to House of Lords

Militant leader wants PoK to be base camp