The Hindu : 'Release of political prisoners not of much help'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 14, 2002

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National

'Release of political prisoners not of much help'

By Our Staff Reporter

Jammu Nov. 13. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief, Amanullah Khan, today said that the Centre should take concrete steps to show its sincerity in settling the Kashmir dispute.

Speaking to The Hindu today, Mr. Khan said, "the release of political detenus might bring some small changes but it would make no difference so far as the Kashmir issue is concerned.

``Both the component parties of the new State Government — People's Democratic Party and Congress — are pro-India and all their members of the Legislative Assembly as also the Cabinet members have sworn allegiance to India. This is what we do not accept and will continue to oppose."

Urging the Centre to realise the "ground realities" he said, "in India and Pakistan and on the international level and as per the principles of justice and equity and in the light of the past experience, the only peaceful, equitable, democratic and durable solution of the Kashmir issue is to reunite the divided Jammu and Kashmir in several peaceful phases and make it a fully independent country with a democratic, federal and secular system of government, having mandatory friendly relations with both India and Pakistan."

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