Following complaints from Kashmiri organisations a British terrestrial television station, Channel 4, has apologised to the Kashmiri community in the UK for offence caused by the screening of an Indian feature film which portrayed Kashmiri freedom fighters as 'terrorists'.

The Chief Executive of the Channel-4, Michael Jackson, in response to a protest letter from the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front -UK/Europe has said that Channel-4 had no intention to disturb or offend Kashmiris. He categorically apologised for 'any offence caused'.

His explanation letter also stated that the controversial film was of fictitious nature with a 'point of view' but Channel-4 'does not endorse all the view points contained in the films it transmits.

The JKLF secretary general had called for an apology for the screening of this "highly provocative and offensive Indian propaganda (feature) film on the night of August 4", which he claimed, "depicts Kashmiri freedom movement as a subversive movement and portrays the freedom fighters as terrorists" causing deep offence amongst thousands of Kashmiris resident in the country. He said the Indian film was utterly misleading in content.

In the letter to Channel-4, the JKLF had protested in strongest terms calling the Channel-4 decision to screen "an extremely offensive and insensitive movie" as highly irresponsible and careless step.

Kashmiris claim that it is one of many controversial Indian movies set in the backdrop of Kashmiri independence movement to malign their struggle by supporting official Indian government propaganda against the struggle for independence. The JKLF letter had also pointed out that "Kashmiris have been oppressed and subjugated for 50 years and as a result of large scale repression and violations of fundamental rights thousands of Kashmiri youngsters have taken to armed struggle to liberate their motherland from the army of occupation", adding that "Indian government and other institutions have not been able to face the ground realities in Kashmir and have resorted to vicious propaganda on many fronts to counter the growing international condemnation of their treatment of the Kashmiris. It is beyond belief that a non-Indian institution such as Channel 4 should join in and be used in this propaganda war against the Kashmiris".

The JKLF is leading a popular revolt against the Indian occupation of Jammu Kahsmir and is seeking re-unification and complete independence from both India and Pakistan.

Over 50 thousand Kashmiris have been killed by India's half a million troops in the occupied areas during the past seven years. ENDS