New York, Aug 16: The Non Resident Kashmiris on Sunday held a peace rally outside the Indian Mission to the United Nations here urging the international community to help in the resolution of Kashmir issue and pressurize India to stop innocent killings and unabated rights abuses in the Valley.
 Holding placards and banners, the participants on I-Day shouted slogans, “Kashmiris demand right to life; Indian army: quit Kashmir; we demand self-determination; India honor UN pledges; stop killings in Kashmir; stop state terrorism in Kashmir and Kashmiris Demand Peace & Justice.”
 Kashmiri American council/Kashmiri Center Executive Director, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, demanded immediate halt to the civilian killings in Kashmir and asked the government of India to hold an impartial investigation into the recent deaths and rights violations perpetrated by armed forces in Kashmir.
 “To resolve Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, the international community and the leadership of the people of J&K must be involved for lasting peace in South Asia,” he said.
 “The people of Kashmir demand what they have been pledged by both India and Pakistan and guaranteed by the Security Council, with the unequivocal endorsement of the United States–demilitarization of Kashmir and a free vote organized impartially,” Dr. Fai reiterated.
 He reminded the US President Barack Obama about his pledge of supporting the Indo-Pak efforts to resolve Kashmir.
 Sardar Sawar Khan, Hafiz Muhammad Sabir, Sardar Haleem Khan, Dr. P Mir, Aftab Shah, Sardar Zahid Hussain, Sardar Imtiaz Ahmed, Chowdhry Muhammad Ishaq, Sardar Niamat Khan, Malik Nadeem Abid and Choudhary Muhammad Akram also spoke on the occasion and said that over 60 people had been killed in the valley in last two months by the police and armed forces. “The killings shall stop forthwith,” they said. They also demanded immediate release of separatist leaders, activists and High Court Bar Association President, Mian Qayoom and General Secretary, G N Shaheen.
 The political parties including Kashmiri American Council, All J & K Muslim Conference, Jammu Kashmir Peoples Muslim League, Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party, Peoples Party Pakistan AJK Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, Kashmir Mission, Jamaat-e-Islami, AJK and World Kashmir Freedom Movement pledged support to the Kashmir cause.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST