Allow us to decide our future: Geelani to BJP

Reacting to the BJP’s Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi’s ‘delivering justice from Kashmir to Kanyakumari’ statement, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Sunday said if Modi was serious in his assertions, he should allow Kashmiris to choose their fate by holding plebiscite in the State.
According a statement issued here, Geelani said if Modi would do justice to the Kashmiris, then it will be really an act of welfare for the millions of people of South Asia. “If Modi does justice with the Kashmir, entire region will experience era of peace, stability and development. Though, Modi was born in 1950, but he will be definitely aware of the tragedy of 1947 when only 72 days after the liberation of India and Pakistan from the occupation of Britain, “Indian army landed in Kashmir and occupied the land illegally.”  
Geelani said then India itself took Kashmir issue to UN where international body termed the “occupation of JK” as injustice and advocated right to self-determination for the people of JK.  “Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru himself had promised Kashmiris that India will not hold Kashmir forcibly and once situation improved, they will be given a chance to decide their future,” Geelani said. “Nehru is on record saying that if Kashmiris decide not to remain with India, it will be definitely painful for him, but we do not favour forced marriages”. 
 “If Modi is sincere about doing justice, he should fulfil the broken promises by giving Kashmiris a chance to choose their future by holding plebiscite,” Geelani said. 
 He said that Modi expressed his sorrow for not contributing to the freedom movement of India, but he has a chance to understand the freedom movement of Kashmir. “Kashmiri nation is struggling for their freedom from last 67 years. Not only lakhs of innocent people were killed but thousands have been subjected to enforced custodial disappearances and many more are buried in unmarked graves,” he said. Geelani said Kashmiri people were also hanged without giving them a fair trial. “Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru are the two examples,” he said.