EP Foreign Affairs Committee adopts Nicolson's Kashmir report

London, Mar 22 (UNI) The controversial draft report by Baroness Emma Nicholson on Kashmir titled 'Kashmir: Present Situation and Future Prospects' has been adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament(EP) with 60 votes in favour and one against.

The Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday welcomed and encouraged bilateral talks between India and Pakistan to find a solution to the Kashmir conflict, while criticising Pakistan for a lack of progress on democracy and human rights.

Twenty eight compromise amendments were agreed by the rapporteur of the Kashmir report, Baroness Nicholson, and the shadow rapporteurs from across the political groups in the EP.

Initially 450 amendments were tabled to the draft report.

The final draft report on Kashmir, produced by the Committee, will only be available after a week. However, according to a press release from the EP, the report says that the "resolution of the continuing conflict along the LoC can best be achieved jointly by a constant engagement between the governments of India and Pakistan, involving the peoples of all parts of the former princely state." It also commends both countries on the peace moves underway, and welcomes the restoration of bilateral talks.

The report reaffirms that "all peoples have the inalienable right of self-determination," while pointing to the fact that "the pre-conditions for using the plebiscite have not been met at present." Stressing that India and Pakistan (along with China) are both important EU partners, the committee also noted that India is the world's largest secular democracy and has devolved democratic structures at all levels, while Pakistan still lacks full implementation of democracy in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, .. has yet to take steps towards democracy in Gilgit and Baltistan.

It says that "Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has not been able to implement his undertaking made in 1999 that 'the armed forces have no intention of staying in charge any longer than is absolutely necessary to pave the way for true democracy to flourish in Pakistan.'" The report calls on Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan. The report also expresses concern at "documented human rights violations by Pakistan" in Gilgit and Baltistan, and at reports of torture and mistreatment, discrimination, and corruption in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

It also calls on the Indian government to "put an end to all practices of extrajudicial killings, 'disappearances', torture and arbitrary detention in Jammu and Kashmir," and to establish an independent commission of inquiry into serious violations of human rights by Indian security forces.

The Committee calls on both governments to allow international human rights groups access to the region for investigations. In a press statement Mr Nicholson said, ''I am delighted for the firm support my draft report has received from all parts of Jammu and Kashmir, and for the firm endorsement that it received from my parliamentary colleagues.'' ''The committee placed its full support behind the Composite Dialogue Process, which is resulting in a range of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) that have enabled, among others, divided families to meet for the first time in 60 years - a process which I witnessed personally last summer,'' she added.

The Kashmir report will go before the plenary session of the EP in May for approval.

UNI