{"id":517,"date":"2008-02-25T14:04:04","date_gmt":"2008-02-25T04:04:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.khanfactor.com\/blog\/?p=517"},"modified":"2008-02-25T14:04:04","modified_gmt":"2008-02-25T04:04:04","slug":"indian-kashmir-separatists-get-boost-from-kosovo-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.khanfactor.com\/blog\/?p=517","title":{"rendered":"Indian Kashmir separatists get boost from Kosovo independence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Shabir<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>SRINAGAR<\/strong>, India\u00a0(AFP) – Separatists in Indian Kashmir said Saturday that Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence has bolstered their resolve to achieve the same status for the disputed Himalayan territory.<\/p>\n

Kosovo last Sunday declared independence from Serbia, which vowed never to recognise the move.<\/p>\n

Kosovo’s independence declaration has “strengthened our resolve to achieve freedom for Kashmir,” leading Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah told AFP.<\/p>\n

Several countries including the United States and Britain have recognised Kosovo as a new state, but India said it was studying the legal ramifications.<\/p>\n

India is wary of recognising Kosovo as an independent state because of its potential implications for Kashmir, racked by a nearly two-decade revolt against New Delhi’s rule that has left more than 43,000 people dead.<\/p>\n

Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars for control of the Muslim-majority region, each hold part of the territory but claim it in full.<\/p>\n

“Kosovo’s independence is an indicator that struggles based on truth and justice never fail,” Shah said, adding the day is not “far when Kashmiris will be free.”<\/p>\n

Shah, 54, who heads the pro-independence Democratic Freedom Party, is dubbed the “Nelson Mandela” of Kashmir after spending more than 20 years in Indian jails.<\/p>\n

“The world community, the European Union in particular, should play a Kosovo-like role in getting the dispute resolved” in Kashmir, added Yasin Malik, chairman of pro-Independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front.<\/p>\n

Both Malik and Shah want India and Pakistan to withdraw from Kashmir to pave the way for its independence.<\/p>\n

So far, 23 of the 27 European Union member states back Kosovo’s independence, either formally recognising it or declaring their intention to do so.<\/p>\n

Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999 after NATO bombed Belgrade to end a Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists, but it remained technically part of Serbia.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Shabir<\/a> <\/strong>SRINAGAR<\/strong>, India (AFP) – Separatists in Indian Kashmir said Saturday that Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence has bolstered their resolve to achieve the same status for the disputed Himalayan territory.<\/p>\n

Kosovo last Sunday declared independence from Serbia, which vowed never to recognise the move.<\/p>\n

Kosovo’s independence declaration has “strengthened our resolve to achieve freedom for Kashmir,” leading Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah told AFP.<\/p>\n

Several countries including the United States and Britain have recognised Kosovo as a new state, but India said it was studying the legal ramifications. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_s2mail":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t