Musharraf must first empower PoK with self-rule: Bhim Singh

Jammu, Jan 30 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (NPP) Chairman Prof Bhim Singh today said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf should first grant real ''self-rule'' to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir before proposing the same for Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference here, Prof Singh ''exposed the myth of self-rule'' in PoK, saying its Assembly could not make any law for the people on its own.

''Half of the members PoK Council are citizens of Pakistan nominated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. President Musharraf has not entrusted any legislative power to the PoK Assembly, which cannot even make a law on electricity tariff or on tourism,'' he said.

On the other hand, the Indian Constitution has vested powers in the JK Legislature to make laws, he added. ''Indian Parliament has abdicated all its authorities to legislate in respect of Article 360 of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution,'' he added.

''Every legislator or Minister, Prime Minister of PoK takes an oath before taking charge of his respective place to the effect that, 'I will remain loyal to the country and the cause of accession of the JK with Pakistan'. This proves the bluff of President Musharraf that Pakistan has not put any claim on JK,'' he said.

Mr Singh welcomed the realistic change in the attitude of People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by updating the columns of their manifestos and adapting themselves to the steps that NPP had taken 20 years ago.

''Both of them have accepted our political jurisprudence vis-a-via JK that Pakistan should grant self-rule to PoK. We had been advocating full logic and reasons that re-organisation of the state on the basis of culture, language, geography and history was only way to meet the aspirations of all regions of the state,'' he added.

The NPP Chairman claimed PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, when failed to exploit Kashmiris in the name of Mr Musharraf's self-rule, finally landed on the floors of the Panthers, saying that President Musharraf should provide self-rule to PoK.

Besides, the BJP had given up their ''futile slogans'' of trifurcation and adopted the NPP manifesto for re-organisation of the state.

Prof Singh lauded party MLAs for standing firm on the NPP stand and commitment. ''The treaty of Amritsar, 1846, has become irrelevant after the state's accession with India by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947. That is why the re-organisation to meet the aspirations of people of all regions is necessary in the 21st century,'' he said.

He called on the people of the state to understand the basic truth and jurisprudence of JK that forms irrevocable and integral part of India.

UNI