Norway’s MPs seek early Kashmir settlement
'Pakistan Times' Kashmir Desk

OSLO (Norway): The Norwegian Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir has urged the world community to continue its wholehearted support to the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.

Over 20 parliament members and noted figures attended a seminar on future of Kashmir and its relationship with Afghanistan held under the auspices of the Kashmir Committee of the Norwegian Parliament.

Dagfinn Hxybreten, who heads the Christen Democratic Party as well as the Nordic Council, addressing the seminar said the world is deeply concerned about human rights sufferings in Kashmir and hoped for an immediate end to their pain.

He resolved that his group would take up unabated human rights violations in the upcoming parliamentary session.

He also stated that the Kashmir group would play its role to strengthen ongoing peace and reconciliation process between Indian and Pakistan. However, he urged both New Delhi and Islamabad to carve out some space for the people of Kashmir on the negotiating table.

Victoria Schofield, the British expert on Kashmir and Afghanistan conflicts, noted in her presentation that to some extent, the Indian Government is winning its waiting game.

For all the flexibility Musharraf has shown, India has stuck firmly behind its traditional position of propagating Kashmir as its integral part.
She said India has been promoting the idea that there can be no joint sovereignty and significant demilitarization can only take place when militancy is eradicated.

Schofield also pointed out that India also alleges that the legal status of the one-third of the state which Pakistan administers has not been agreed.

Speaking on the occasion Executive Director of Kashmiri-Scandinavian Council, Norway, Sardar Ali Shahnawaz Khan thanked the participants and panelists for discussing Kashmir issue.

Ali Shahnawaz Khan also said that symbolic recognition of Kashmiris’ right to choose their future could be a major confidence building measures, which would vindicate the Kashmiris and in turn create atmosphere of trust, vis a vis India-Pakistan and the world community at large.●