KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY

That this House, observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on 5th February 2007, sadly recognises that since 1988, an estimated 100,000 Kashmiris have tragically lost their lives as a direct result of the violent conflict in the region; welcomes the initiatives being undertaken by the Pakistani and Indian governments working towards a peaceful resolution in Kashmir; emphasises the need for self-determination for the people of Kashmir; and stresses that no viable long-term solution will be found unless the Kashmiri people are both represented in and central to the negotiations and formally give their consent to any final resolution, and that only then will the tragic and unnecessary loss of life cease and justice be delivered to the long-suffering people of Kashmir and both India and Pakistan become freed to focus on their common enemies, which are poverty, illiteracy, lack of healthcare, lack of sanitation and poor infrastructure development.