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| India-Pakistan |
| Kashmiris want Pak to keep off |
| 2002-05-31 |
| More than two-thirds of Kashmiris believe that Pakistan's involvement has damaged their cause, three out of every five believe they are politically and economically better off with India, and nearly 90 per cent desperately want cross-border infiltration by foreign militants to stop, according to the latest opinion poll released by MORI International. An overwhelming majority of Kashmiris oppose India and Pakistan going to war to solve the Kashmir problem and a similar percentage oppose the bifurcation or trifurcation of the state on ethnic or religious lines. Lord Eric Avebury, who commissioned the poll, told The Times of India that "the poll showed how much had changed in Jammu and Kashmir, how encouraging things are and how much the people want peace and economic prosperity". Avebury, a human rights activist who belongs to the 20-member, London-based Friends of Kashmir Group, comprising British politicians and businessmen, said the poll was meant to "allow the Kashmiri people’s voice to be heard". Describing as "legitimate", questions about why Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was not surveyed as well, the British peer said "we had a lack of resources, that is why we restricted ourselves to in and around Srinagar, Jammu and Leh and could not even go to Baramullah, Ananatnag and Sopore". In that case, have the plebiscite and get it on record. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |