Islamabad, June 16: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, chief patron, Ammanullah Khan has said that in the backdrop of changes sweeping across the globe, the option of independent Kashmir seems more sensible and a viable solution to the long-running dispute of Kashmir issue.
 “Gone are the days when JKLF activists were labelled as double agents and we have come a long way as the nationalist movement is gaining strength on both sides of the ceasefire line (LOC)”, the JKLF founder said while talking to Greater Kashmir.
 “Initially, talking about Independent Kashmir was not even a minor feat”, he said adding that it was very unfortunate that the Government of Indian accused Shaheed Maqbool Bhat as a Pakistani agent and sent him to gallows after keeping him behind the bars for over 10 years.
 To the contrary, he said Bhat faced same allegations in Pakistan and was jailed for over two years. “His crime was his struggle for his national emancipation and nothing else”, he said. “I, too, faced the same situation here and was put behind the bars for number of times just for raising the voice of independent Kashmir”, he said.
 Khan maintained that the region had witnessed a sea change and political maturity amongst the Kashmiris had increased manifold over the past two decades.  “I think it is our success that the people, who until yesterday were against JKLF’s struggle for an independent Kashmir, now support and subscribe the same ideology”. “Though they have some reservations, but in private meetings they speak their heart out”, he added.
 Dismayed over the prevailing political situation in Kashmir he said, there was a dire need that all the political forces should come forward and devise a consensus policy on the issue that has to in line with national interest and reflective of the peoples’ aspirations.
 He said Kashmiri nation had suffered and struggled for years to achieve the cherished goal of freedom.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST