Lashkar, Jaish have Kashmiri members: UJC

Srinagar, Jan 14 (UNI) The Muzaffarabad-based United Jehad Council (UJC), a conglomerate of several militant groups active in Jammu and Kashmir, has said the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfits had a large number of Kashmiris as their members.

These Kashmiris had migrated to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan during the autocratic rule of Dogras, the UJC said in its statement faxed to media offices here from Muzaffarabad.

The militant amalgam rejected the statement of Mahaz-e-Azadi patron Azam Inqilabi in which he accused the Lashkar and the Jaish of having vested interest in unaltered Line of Control (LoC) and continued violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

''Both the militant groups have a place and a role in the freedom movement...and these are performing their role. If he (Mr Inquilabi) has pinned hopes on the meaningless dialogue process, then we are surprised,'' the UJC said.

The conglomerate urged him to respect the sentiments of militants who were ''sacrificing everything for the freedom struggle''.

''We hope something positive comes out these talks, but merely making the LOC irrelevant won't serve any purpose,'' the UJC said and threatened to continue with its ''struggle'' till what it called the ''bloody line dividing two Kashmirs'' was obliterated.

UNI