Call to resolve Kashmir issue

LAHORE

A number of educational institutions and student organisations on Friday organised events to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day in order to express their solidarity with the Kashmiris in their freedom struggle.

Punjab University’s Pakistan Study Centre organised a seminar in this connection. According to a press release, Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran addressing the seminar revealed that in the past, Israel in connivance with India had planned to attack Kahuta Atomic Plant through aerial assault and they had practiced joint exercises. He said when Pakistan came to know about their nefarious design, the Pakistani government conveyed the message to the Indian government that if they made any such attempt, then a fleet of Pakistan’s Mirage aircrafts would destroy Trombay Nuclear Reactor in a suicide mission. 

PU VC said after this message, India then conveyed to Pakistan that the Kahuta plant would not be attacked which proved that Pakistan had the ability to defend itself. He said Pakistan’s leadership in the past did not pay the required attention to Kashmir issue which it deserved. However, he said, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent speech at the United Nations had sensitised the nation and highlighted the issue. 

He said our enemy was well aware of our potential but we were underestimating ourselves while we had the potential to become a great power. He called upon the government to allocate at least five percent of GDP to education, one percent to research and development and declare compulsory army training to the youths to cope with all the problems the country was facing. He also said ISIS was a creation of Mossad.

Dr Mujahid Kamran said our stance on Kashmir should be clear and well-reasoned adding but a few persons were fanning disappointment on media. 

Renowned political leader of Azad Kashmir Sardar Khalid Ibrahim, former chief justice of Pakistan Justice (r) Riaz Sheikh, Air Marshal (r) Amjad Hussain, Vice-Chairman Anti-Corruption Punjab Rana Ikram Rabbani, President Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan Pir Ejaz Ahmed Hashmi, renowned lawyer Ahmed Awais, a delegation of lawyers from Jammu Kashmir headed by Syed Babar Qadri, senior faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion. 

Khalid Ibrahim said unfortunately we were not aware of our case regarding Kashmir. He said Quaid-e-Azam’s stance on Kashmir was that Kashmiris should be given right to plebiscite. He said which sort of democracy was in India where a single family had ruled directly for over 43 years after 1947? He also said Kashmiris had confidence in Pakistan and its people and we were proud of being Pakistanis first and then Kashmiris. 

Syed Babar Qadri said he was very disappointed when he met Kashmir Committee adding this committee must be independent. He said we did not want Pakistan fight war for us but since when we had understood Pakistan as our lawyer, we wanted Pakistan to fight our case in the best manner and lobby for our rights. He said we wanted seriousness and empathy from Pakistan and a meaningful dialogue. He said real political facts regarding Kashmir had been distorted. He said not only Kashmiris but the Muslims of UP were also fighting to become part of Pakistan. He said the Indian government was destroying career of the Kashmiri youths and various tactics were being used for our genocide. He said the water of Kashmir was source of energy for New Delhi but Kashmiris were facing six hours outages a day. He said we were aware of Pakistan’s importance even more than Pakistanis. He said we were happy that Pakistani nation was very serious and sensitive regarding Kashmir issue. He said that we were disappointed from Pakistani media. 

Air Marshal (r) Amjad Hussain said every leadership after Quaid-e-Azam had failed in resolving Kashmir issue and we had lost many occasions where we could have liberated Kashmir. He said we needed to work on resolving Kashmir issue in an organised manner. 

Justice (r) Riaz Sheikh said Nehru used his links with Lady Mountbatten to include the area of Gurdaspur in India. 

Rana Ikram Rabbani said the new generation was not aware of Kashmir issue and unfortunately, the Muslim countries had not jointly put pressure on India in this regard. Pir Ejaz Ahmed Hashmi said India was constructing 60 dams on the rivers of Kashmir and Kashmiris were actually fighting war of Pakistan. He said the focus of Kashmir Committee was on getting facilities and it was doing nothing. 

Ahmed Awais said we had committed many mistakes in the past but now was the time to decide our future. He said Pakistan must had taken commitment from the United States during the Soviet War that the US would help resolve Kashmir issue but it could not happen. He said we must highlight Kashmir issue at all levels and convince the world that if the issue was not resolved, the region would become a nuclear flash point. 

Prof Dr Massarat Abid highlighted the reasons behind Kashmir issue and discussed various events in chronological order. She said Kashmiris were making efforts for their liberty and Indian government was killing innocent Kashmiris, adding that Kashmiris must be given their right to plebiscite. She said Pakistan must continue its moral support to the people of Kashmir. She said this was not a regional issue but a humanitarian issue as well.

Meanwhile, the Ravian orators while addressing a seminar on Kashmir Solidarity Day at the Government College University (GCU) said Pakistanis loved peace, friendship and harmony, but cordial relations with India could not be developed at the cost of the blood and rights of their Kashmiri brothers. 

Eminent poet and writer Prof Dr Sadaat Saeed chaired the seminar which was organised by the university’s Debating Society. The speakers said no occupation had sustained ever against the wishes of inhabitants of a territory. GCU student Abdur Rahim Virk said the geopolitics was now geo-economics and it was in the favour of India to immediately resolve lingering issue of Kashmir in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution. 

Adnan Farooq said extreme brutality and genocide had failed to deter Kashmiris from their struggle for independence, and they were waiving Pakistani flag all over the valley. 

Prof Dr Sadaat Saeed and GCU Adviser on Students' Affairs Siddique Awan also addressed the students, saying that it was the obligation of the world to get implemented the UN resolutions on Kashmir.

Similarly, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) organised a walk which was led by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid. He emphasised to empower the Kashmiris with right of determination in the light of UN resolutions. He also said sacrifices of Kashmiris would never waste and we support the peaceful struggle of the people for this cause. 

Islami Tehreek Talaba (ITT) also organised an event in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day. Speaking on the occasion, ITT Chairman Ghulam Abbas Siddiqui said Kashmir was the heart of Pakistan and we could not leave Kashmiris alone.