The World Kashmir Freedom Movement (WKFM) is an umbrella organisation of expatriate Kashmiris from Indian administrated Kashmir working internationally for the promotion of the Kashmir cause. It was set up on 17 June 1990 with Dr. Ayub Thakur as it president and has offices in Europe, Americas and Middle East. In July 1991, the World Kashmir Freedom Movement organised an international conference on Kashmir issue in Washington, D.C. A large number of US congressmen, members of British Parliament and European Parliament as well as distinguished intellectuals and academicians participated in the conference and supported tri-partite talks for the resolution of Kashmir dispute. During his address to the conference, Dr. Ayub Thakur, urged Kashmiri militants to renounce the misuse of force no matter how compelling the self-determination aspiration. He was the first Kashmiri leader to offer conditional and issue-based moral support to the Kashmiri militants. The conference was a great success and generated a lot of debate in media and political circles much to the annoyance of India. The Indian Government took the success of the conference very seriously, and accused Dr. Ayub Thakur of sending money to the Kashmiri freedom fighters for terrorist activities. Under the directions of various Indian intelligence agencies, many cases ranging from terrorism to sabotage were registered against him. The Indian Government booked him under infamous Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). This case later formed the genesis of the famous Jain Hawala Corruption Case, in which 38 prominent Indian politicians[1] were charge sheeted and later discharged. Dr. Ayub Thakur also attended the 1991 Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign minister meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, the 1993 OIC summit meeting in Dakar, Senegal and World tactics did not yield the desired result. On this occasion Dr. Ayub Thakur led a delegation and highlighted the Indian intransigence and the massive human rights violations. World KKashmir Freedom Movement also joined other Kashmiri groups and attended March 1993 session of United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and later the World Conference on Human Rights at Vienna, Austria in June 1993. As the World Kashmir Freedom Movement activities were growing, Indian Government tried to extradite Ayub Thakur on charges of financing 'terrorism' and secessionist plotting. He became India's chief nemesis. Indian government twice sought his extradition from the UK in 1992 and 1993. After its failure, they finally impounded his passport in 1993. This left Dr. Ayub stranded in United Kingdom for about four years along with his family. However, in 1997 the British government issued him with a travel document, which he used till his death.[2]
On 17 August 2009, in an attempt to re-activate the organisation a round table on Kashmir was organised by World Kashmir Freedom Movement (WKFM) here, which was moderated by eminent Kashmiri American physician, Dr. Qazi, member of General Council, WKFM. Leaders of all the major diaspora, political parties, councillors, intellectuals and a cross section of community leaders living in Britain participated in it. America based leaders of WKFM including President Dr. G.N.Mir, Secretary General Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai attended the meeting. Senior Vice President Mr. Nazir Ahmed Qurashi welcomed the participants and urged the audience to brainstorm a workable, pragmatic and joined strategy for taking the moment to the logical conclusion.[3]