A statement issued by the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad yesterday reiterated the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concerning the release of the western hostages still detained in Kashmir.   The statement declared that the Saudi government condemns all kinds of terrorism including that of kidnapping people, irrespective of the motives of the perpetrators, and deplores the detention in Kashmir of those kidnapped, which continues despite the frequent appeals made earlier and the mediation efforts exerted in this regard.  

The statement said:  “The Kingdom believes that such behavior runs counter to Islamic teachings.  Moreover, it has an adverse impact on the cause of the Kashmiri people.  The Kingdom calls for the immediate release of the innocent hostages, and reiterates that the settlement of the Kashmiri problem should be in line with the United Nations resolutions stipulating that the Kashmiri people should be able to exercise their legitimate rights”.   Four of the six western tourists kidnapped in Kashmir last year are still detained by an unknown group.   One of the two other hostages is dead, while the sixth was able to escape.

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