Uncertainty and contradictions, claims and counter-claims have gone on far too long while nothing has changed and the fate of western hostages in Indian-Occupied-Kashmir is still in the hands of their captivities.

India had finally admitted knowledge of hostages' whereabouts after nearly 475 days of their captivity. "The latest information I have about the hostages is that they are all alive," the AFP reported on 19th October. That's what Farooq Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar just 10 days after being sworn in as ruler of the troubled Himalayan state. "I have got the area of (their) location also, but I will not disclose it now as it can cause problems."

And now, "The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has made it absolutely clear here [Jammu] today that the fate of the four foreign hostages, kidnapped by a militant outfit known as Al-Faran on 4th July 1995, was still unknown. He said it was very difficult to say whether they are dead or alive," reported The Hindu, on 26^th November.

Thomas Abraham wrote for The Hindu (24th December 1996): "Hundreds of people gathered at the Immanuel Church, home church of one of the captives, Mr. Paul Wells, to share the anguish of his family and add their voices to a plea to Al-Faran, which abducted the tourists. 'Please don't force them to spend another winter in the mountains,' pleaded Mr. Bob Wells, father of Mr. Paul Wells. 'If they are dead, we need to know, so that we can bring them home and give them proper funeral.' His mother, Mrs. Dianne Wells, lit four candles, one for each hostage, while a fifth was lit for the people of Kashmir and for the captor. His 22-year-old sister, Ms. Sarah, read one of the lessons at the service, and his former school teacher read another.

"Churches throughout England lit candles and said prayers for the hostages in a nationwide act of solidarity."

Meanwhile, India rejected a US reward offer, Ritu Sarin wrote for The Indian Express, New Delhi (21st. November 1996): "The Indian Government rejected a proposal made by United States officials that they be allowed to announce monetary rewards to anyone providing clues to the whereabouts of the Al-Faran hostages . . . The US proposal is said to have included the setting up of hotlines in the Valley and supervised by their staff -- in all probability, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)."

The AFP reports from New Delhi: India and Germany on Thursday (23rd January) discussed the abduction of a German tourist by . . . separatists last year in Kashmir, officials said.

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and his Indian counterpart Inder Kuman Gujral discussed the fate of Dirk Hasert, a German tourist who was abducted with five other Westerners by Al-Faran [a shadowy group], in Kashmir in July 1995. Kinkel said he hoped "more could be done to bring home the German tourist."

Four Westerners ­­ Hasert, Britons Paul Wells and Keith Mangan and American Donald Hutchings ­­ were seized by gunmen while trekking in the Himalayas of Kashmir. A fifth victim, a Norwegian, was found dead in August of 1995.

The AFP reports from Muzafarabad ­ A delegation of US officials Tuesday [18th March] demanded the head of Pakistan­administered Kashmir aid the release of four western hostages held across the border in India by suspected Moslem rebels, officials here said.

"The captors have no connection with Kashmiris related to the freedom movement," the Pakistan Kashmir acting premier, Shibzada Ishaque Zafar, told the delegation.

Officials quoted him as having told the officials they could not assume rebels carried out the kidnappings.

"Our government has no administrative control in (Indian) held­Kashmir," Zafar told the officials.

"It is the government on the other side of the divide which could extend practical help to you, provided she is sincere to resolve the issue."

Zafar went on to claim the abductions were instigated by Indian agencies to "defame the freedom movement at international level," adding "a Moslem could not do such an act."

However, at their insistence, he made an appeal to the captors to release the men after the US officials pointed out he was able to meet leaders of some militant groups based in Muzafarabad, capital of Pakistani Kashmir.

In a situation where the uncertainty and contradictions have broken all the barriers, the US, UK and Germany should ask the UN Security Council to authorise an international investigation team, consisting of experts on terrorism and counter-terrorism, to determine the fate of the unfortunate captives and to unveil the so-called Al-Faran group. The time is running out to save the lives of innocent victims. The international community has a moral responsibility to act and clear the smoke screen that has confused everyone in this global village.