Islamabad, Feb 12: Chairman of the United Jihad Council, Syed Salahuddin, on Friday rejected India’s offer to grant amnesty to Kashmiri militants, who want to return from Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) and join the mainstream. He demanded that India should apologize for the “offences” it had committed against the people of Jammu and Kashmir rather than talking about amnesty.   
 “Indian leaders must be mindful of the fact that Kashmiris are neither out-laws nor have they committed any crime. They are fighting for their just and legitimate right that has been guaranteed to them by the world community and the leadership of India and Pakistan,” Salahuddin told Greater Kashmir.  
 “Kashmiris were forced to abandon their homes by Indian troops. There is no question of amnesty or general pardon. History stands testimony to the fact that Indian forces have committed rights violations; put to death thousands of innocent civilians and destroyed properties worth crores in past 20-years,” said, Salahuddin, who is also the supreme commander of Hizbul-Mujahideen.   
 The Convener of APHC-M Pak chapter, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar said, “First of all we are not Indian nationals, we are Kashmiris and the people of Jammu and Kashmir have never accepted India’s dominance”.
 “We have waged a struggle that will continue at all levels unless the ultimate goal is attained”, Saghar said.  “It is not the matter of seeking or granting pardon at all, Kashmir is a globally recognized political issue. It cannot be settled just by resorting to senseless offerings or undertakings. India should accept the ground reality and resolve this dispute amicably according to the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris.”

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST