In this regard, Chaudhry especially urged the United States to play a role in resolving the Kashmir issue in order to usher in an era of peace and harmony in the region. Kashmir’s settlement was also in the US interest as it was linked to resolving the Afghan issue.
The meeting was also addressed by Ambassador Yusuf Buch, a former special assistant to Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Sardar Sawar Khan, a former member of the Kashmir Council, Khalid Awan, a PPP leader, and a number of other speakers who underscored the need for settling the Kashmir dispute.
The former AJK Prime Minister, who visited the Occupied Kashmir a few months ago, said he has been drawing world attention to the inescapable duty to stop human rights violations in the Indian held part of the disputed region.
He has also raised the issue of mass graves with his interlocutors during visits to several European capitals, including the EU Parliament in Brussels.
India, he argued, needs to take a series of confidence building measures in order to improve the overall climate for Kashmiris and between India and Pakistan. The Kashmiris are the key party and their right to self-determination cannot be ignored, he remarked.
He noted that some of the steps that New Delhi must take should include withdrawal of troops from urban places, ending application of draconian laws that give immunity to Indian forces’ actions and release of political prisoners.
While in the Washington metro area, Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry also met with Kashmiri- American activist Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai and appreciated his services for the Kashmir cause, he said.
During his interaction with the U.S. officials, Mahmood said, he found them appreciative of his emphasis on the importance of solution to the Kashmir conflict.
