Shimla Declaration sans Kashmir reference released

A day after the mention of Jammu and Kashmir issue was dropped from the final draft, the Shimla Declaration was released here today by Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA).

Shimla, June 4 : A day after the mention of Jammu and Kashmir issue was dropped from the final draft, the Shimla Declaration was released here today by Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General of the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA).

The declaration, which was scheduled to be released on Sunday, was delayed as it had to be redrafted by a subcommittee comprising of five MPs each from India and Pakistan after the Indian delegation raised an objection to a reference on Kashmir in the draft.

The SAARC forum ultimately dropped its reference to the Kashmir issue in the draft declaration and agreed to leave it to bilateral negotiations between India and Pakistan.

A South Asia Parliamentary Commission has also been set up under the chairmanship of Lok Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to work on a roadmap for South Asia Parliament on the pattern of European Parliament.

The Declaration also calls for regional cooperation on poverty eradication, diminishing trade barriers, and condemned the acts of terrorism.

On Sunday, the Indian group led by MP Dinesh Trivedi strongly objected to the line in the draft declaration that India and Pakistan should explore all options for the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir question agreeable to the peoples of India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir.

Trivedi pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and not a separate entity.

The subcommittee ultimately decided to stick to the Bhurban Declaration of 2005 adopted in Punjab, Pakistan, which had no mention of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian delegation prevailed upon the forum to get all objectionable portions, including on subsidies, deleted from the final draft.

ANI