Don't push us to seek support from UNHRC: Pandits

New Delhi, Jan 9: Ahead of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Islamabad on January 13-14, Kashmiri Pandits today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to pluto the approach on Kashmir and sacrifice the policies at the ''altar of improved relations with Pakistan.''

Referring to the Prime Minister's address at the FICCI yesterday in which he spoke about ''breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul,'' Kashmiri Samiti, the nodal agency for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, said in a statement that any softline approach on Kashmir would be at the cost of the Pandits who had been ''hounded'' out of the valley 17 years ago.

The statement expressed regret that Pandits, who were the worst affected and most crucial to any talks and resolution of the Kashmir problem, had not been made part of the peace process even though such parleys had been held with some political parties and leaders of the state.

The Samiti cautioned against being ''pushed too far to seek support and help from global institutions like the UN Human Rights Council'' and alleged that some of the latest moves of the government suggested that the exile of Kashmir Pandits was being ''perpetualised.'' The statement said that lately a very ''uncomfortable feeling'' was prevailing that the government was about to conclude an understanding with Pakistan that would dilute India's hold on Kashmir.

''It is believed that in this process, the twin concepts of nationalism and secularism will be compromised to gain some ephemeral advantage in the local vote bank politics...This 0.7 million group (displaced Kashmiri Pandits) is about to be sacrificed at the altar of improved relations with Pakistan. They do not either figure in official statements and versions, nor in the so called Track-II diplomatic processes,'' the statement by Mr Sunil Shakdher, Chairman, Political Affairs Committee of the Kashmiri Samiti said.

Mr Shakdher said any hurry made for concluding an understanding with Pakistan on Kashmir, would severely affect the future of the country.

UNI