UN resolutions on Kashmir obsolete: Qayyum

A top leader of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who recently returned from New Delhi after attending a conference, has said that the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir had become obsolete.

Former PoK President and All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference leader Sardar Muhammad Abdul Qayyum Khan told media persons that time had come to accept that there were militant training camps in Pakistan and 'Azad Kashmir' in the past, which were boldly closed down by President Pervez Musharraf.

"Yes, of course there were training camps in Pakistan and in Azad Kashmir (POK) also. It was no secret. It was open knowledge," Qayyum said.

However, he admitted that some terrorists were still present in Pakistan and PoK.

"Musharraf closed them down and now there are no training camps, there may be people in those camps but they are not getting any training. I have not kept anything hidden behind curtains.

"We cannot keep something like this under wraps. The Americans know everything. They can tell you the last detail about these camps. In today's world, it is impossible to keep something like this hidden. We should speak the truth or else we become ourselves liars," he told media persons on Thursday.

Sardar Qayyum said the four-point proposal on Kashmir floated by General Musharraf had evoked a good response in India.

The former PoK president described his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and policy-makers as highly successful and expected a major breakthrough on Kashmir. He said Dr Singh was also in favour of carrying forward the peace process.

"I feel Dr Singh is on the right track. My own thought is that he is making all efforts. They are working on demilitarisation, on opening of routes (to link both sides of Kashmir), so these are within the parameters suggested by President Musharraf," Qayyum said.

Qayyum said he had proposed during the conference in India the opening up of all travel routes between two sides of Jammu and Kashmir as was done in 1956.

The PoK leader said the proposals of self-governance and demilitarisation had been discussed in detail and India had expressed its willingness to do this in phases.

India was demonstrating flexibility in its attitude on Kashmir, he said, adding that although he was on the top of India's list of enemies, granting him a visa was a major development.