Exiled Kashmiri leaders urge Pak to stop backing extremist elements

Exiled leaders from Kashmir have urged the Pakistani authorities to stop their support of extremists and terrorists in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

"On one side, Pakistan is telling the world that they are fighting a war against terrorism and extremists, but on the other hand, the terrorists and extremists are openly holding rallies and are shout slogans of jihad," said Jammu Kashmir International People's Alliance (JKIPA) secretary general Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri at a conference titled 'Growing extremism, terrorism and its impact on Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir' here.

Kashmiri further said that extremist forces have made life for minority communities in Pakistan miserable, and called on Islamabad to make a state policy against all terrorists. He also blamed Pakistan for allowing banned organisation Jama'at-ud-Da'wah's (JuD) chief, Hafiz Saeed, to hold political rallies across the country.

The conference highlighted domestic and international efforts to prevent extremists and their supporters from radicalizing , recruiting, and inspiring others in J and K and elsewhere to carry out violent acts against innocent people.

Other prominent speakers present at the event included Dr. Shabir Choudhry and Senge Hasan Sering.

They later passed a resolution opposing extremism and terrorism for the peace and stability of the entire region. They also demanded that Pakistan drop charges against political prisoners from Gilgit-Baltistan, including Baba Jan.