Politicos slam PPP's decision to protest over Kashmir in London

Political leaders on Tuesday dismissed the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) move to protest over the Kashmir issue as meaningless.

The PPP reportedly plans to stage a demonstration in London on Sunday, seeking a just and peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue. Thousands are expected to participate in the march, which will begin from Trafalgar Square and end at Prime Minister David Cameron's office at 10 Downing Street.

The rally will be led by Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, former prime minister of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and PPP leader, to raise the issue of an independent Kashmir in the British Parliament.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon, said until and unless India and Pakistan talk among themselves to sort out the issue, nothing will bear fruit.

"These kinds of agitations are meaningless. If anywhere in the world you start agitating and start demanding rights of Kashmiris, I think that would not get any positive results because it is ultimately Indian and Pakistan authorities that would have to sit together and sort out the solution to Kashmir problem and all these kinds of manifestations on soil of London or America, I don't think is going to cut any ice," Memon said here.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had also sought the United Nations' (UN) intervention on the Kashmir issue, which failed to draw any new response from the world body.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nalin Kohli, said Pakistan should rather improve the situation in its country as it is plagued by Islamist violence.

"This peace march, whatever they want to do is for them to do but they would do well to introspect about the condition in Pakistan. It's among the most non-peaceful places on the earth. It's close on becoming a perpetrator of terrorism, already terrorists use Pakistan as a safe haven," Kohli said in Mumbai.

"There is no peace there. People are killed on daily basis, girls are shot for wanting to study in schools, health workers on the polio assignments are shot, the economy is in shambles, it cannot work without any foreign aid. So these are the main issues confronting Pakistan. With regard to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, there is only one issue, when is Pakistan returning the illegally occupied land to India?" he added.

Meanwhile, chief of Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, Bhim Singh, said his party will also plan a march to celebrate that Kashmir is a part of India.

"CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) is trying to promote Bilawal as a next leader of Pakistan through Jammu and Kashmir by creating this communal international fiasco," he added.