LONDON, 8 March, 1998

A Kashmiri group has threatened to start political agitation against Pakistan if their leader, Shoukat Kashmiri is not returned home safely. In a press conference held in London, Afzal Tahir of International Front accused the ISI for kidnapping Mr Kashmiri and produced copies of legal proceeding in Azad Kashmir courts for his recovery, alleging that even the police SP in Rawalakot had submitted that ISI was involved. He maintained that Mr Kashmiri was being victimised because of his work to seek re-unification and independence of the state through peacefull means.

Shaukat Kashmiri, chairman of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) based allegedly picked up by men from the Pakistani security forces near Bagh on 18 January.

Several other groups have expressed their support to the UKPNP, according to the KIF. They have accused the Pakistani authorities of launching a Savak (the Iranian Intelligence agency) like crackdown against Kashmiri leaders in AK but a former AK prime-minister Sardar Qayyum has accused Pakistani agencies of "harboring nationalists and then making martyrs out of them". This was reported by the London based Nation, Weekly last week.Meanwhile,the Geneva-based International Secretariat of the World Organisations Against Torture has sent a letter of protest to Pakistani Prime Minister. ENDs