{EOP}'EU team forced to admit official (controversial) version on Kashmir by Indian Authorities'

Kashmir High Court Bar Association Saturday said that five-member European Delegation, currently on an information gathering visit to Valley, were “forced to acknowledge a biased and officially monitored version" of the situation obtaining in Jammu and Kashmir and that their visit "was a subterfuge".

“Bar Association maintains that the members of the visiting delegation are believed to be on fact finding mission but either the delegation members are not allowed to meet the relevant and concerned sections of the society deliberately or the delegation members do not want to know the truth about the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” general secretary of the lawyers body, advocate G N Shaheen said.

“The Bar Association feels the visit of the European delegation is a subterfuge and a misnomer as the Bar Association feels the members of the visiting delegation are forced to acknowledge a biased and officially monitored version of the situation as it obtains in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He said that the delegation to Kashmir headed by her Excellency Mrs. Daniela Samajda had a scheduled program to meet with the Executive Committee of the Bar Association today at 4 p.m. at Hotel Grand Palace here as was earlier conveyed to him by the state protocol.

In this behalf, he said, the Bar Association had nominated a high power delegation comprising of President Mian Abdul Qayoom, Vice President Aijaz Bedar, General Secretary G. N. Shaheen, Senior Advocates Zaffar Alamgir Shah, Zaffar-ul-Amin Qureshi, Manzoor Ahmad Dar, Nazir Ahmad Ronga, Shabir Ahmad Butt, Tanveer Ahmad Bhat to meet the visiting delegation as per the schedule.

“But to the surprise of the Bar Association, I was informed by D.SP Mohammad Shafi Sheikh in-charge Protocol and security to the visiting delegation that the meeting of the Bar Association with the visiting European Delegation stands cancelled. On asking for the reasons, there was neither any proper reply from the authorities nor any member of the delegation was made available for comments,” he said while terming it as deplorable act.

“Bar Association despite feeling upset with the conduct of the members of the delegation and the sabotage act on the part of the protocol officers attached with them feel it appropriate to appeal the members of the delegation for their intervention in addressing grave human rights problem and call upon the Govt. of India to settle the Kashmir issue in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions to ask both call upon India and Pakistan to initiate meaningful and result oriented dialogue in which the people of Jammu and Kashmir are also made party for just and honourable solution of the Kashmir issue.”