SHEIKH ABDULLAH IN CROWD: SHEIKH MOUNTS ROSTRUM: SHEIKH SPEAKS: CROWD: CANAL: HOUSEBOATS: STREET VENDORS: STREET SCENE; DAL LAKE.




Initials GHB/VS/JF/PF


EDITORS NOTE: OUR PROD. NO. 2345/68 SERVICED YESTERDAY (MARCH 6) REFERS.

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Background: FORMER KASHMIR PRIME MINISTER, SHEIKH ABDULLAH, CONTINUE A RETURN TOUR AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM NEARLY THREE YEARS IN INDIAN DETENTION, URGED CLOSER UNDERSTANDING AND FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN WHEN SPEAKING AT SRINAGAR ON TUESDAY (MARCH 5).

SHEIKH ABDULLAH TOLD A MASS RALLY THAT THE FUTURE OF 5,000,000 KASHMIRIS WAS LINKED WITH THE DESTINY OF THE SUB-CONTINENT'S 600,0000,000 PEOPLE.

THE SHEIKH - KNOWN AS THE "LION OF KASHMIR" - SAID THE PEOPLE OF THE DISPUTED STATE WANTED A PLACE OF HONOUR FOR THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD. BUT HE ADDED THAT THEIR RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF INDO-PAKISTAN FRIENDSHIP.

THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER TOOK ISSUE WITH STATEMENTS BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT LEADERS THAT KASHMIR'S ACCESSION TO INDIA WAS IRREVOCABLE AND THE STATE WAS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE NATION.

INDIA AND PAKISTAN FOUGHT KASHMIR AFTER THE PARTITION OF INDIA IN 1947 AND AGAIN WENT TO THE WAR FOR SIX WEEKS IN 1965. SHEIKH ABDULLAH BECAME KASHMIR'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER BUT WAS OVERTHROWN AND JAILED BY INDIA IN 1953 AFTER BACKING A MOVEMENT TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE. HE HAS HAD ONLY ONE YEAR'S FREEDOM SINCE THEN.