Pakistan, India can’t prosper without resolving Kashmir issue: PM

Says UN should be answerable for its failure in implementing its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir; benefits of CPEC to also reach AJK; addresses AJK Legislative Assembly, Kashmir Council

MUZAFFARABAD: Offering an olive branch to India to settle the Kashmir dispute through negotiations, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here reminded that the dispute is a test for the incumbent leaderships of Pakistan and India as people of both the countries cannot attain prosperity and progress until the lingering issue is resolved.

The prime minister was addressing a joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the Kashmir Council with regard to the Kashmir Solidarity Day observed on February 5.

Federal ministers Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) for Political Affairs Dr Asif Saeed Kirmani, Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Kashmiri leader Mushtaq Minhas were also present on the occasion.

The prime minister was profusely greeted by the Kashmiri leadership in the capital of Azad Kashmir. Expressing optimism on initiation of bilateral dialogue process in the days ahead, the prime minister said resolution of all issues lies in mutual dialogue and added that both India and Pakistan would have to think about the well-being and progress of their people.

Nawaz Sharif said South Asia requires a new vision and thinking and history is once again calling for resolution of bilateral issues for future generations. Pakistan did try to give a new vision to South Asia in order to ensure peace in the region. Pakistan has assured cooperation to India on all issues, including terrorism, adding that no one could understand peace better other than Pakistan, which itself had been a target and victim of the menace.

“We want peace, not only for Pakistan but for the entireregion, and Kashmir is also a part of the region,” he said and added that peace is also the Kashmiris’ right and no one can deny the right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The prime minister said differences among countries are somewhat natural but Kashmir’s resolution is a test case for the leadership of both countries. He said Kashmir is a permanent part of national policy and no Pakistani could ignore Kashmir as this relationship is based on their history, geography, region, culture and realisation of relationship among the people. He said the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir are just demanding the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir issue. He said the United Nations should be answerable to the world as to why it could not implement its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Kashmir issue is not only the issue of UN Charter but also its authority, dignity and trust of the nations,” he added.The prime minister said that Pakistan and China have initiated a gigantic $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project which would usher in a new era of prosperity in the region. He said Pakistan wants peace in the region and conflict has also not been the policy of China, adding that benefits of the CPEC would also reach Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said the AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the big shareholders of CPEC, adding that under the project, a network of roads would be constructed besides hydro power projects, which would ultimately reduce the electricity shortages in the country.

The prime minister said several projects of the AJK are also part of the CPEC. He said that work is in progress with the cooperation of China on several electricity projects and there was a lot of improvement in the situation with less loadshedding, adding that it would end by 2018.

Lauding the deep-rooted Pak-China friendship, he said $46 billion from China under the CPEC is not a loan but investment, including $34 billion investment from the private sector. He said the present PML-N government intends to lay a railway line from Islamabad to Muzaffarabad and expressway from Muzaffarabad to Mirpur. He said that the Murree Expressway would also be extended to Muzaffarabad. He said that it is only the PML-N government which had focused on electricity projects and construction of infrastructure in the country and added that the Muzaffarabad road was also constructed by his government in the 90s. “I love the AJK, I will complete these projects since it is your right,” he added. He said that the federal government would provide Rs2.5 billion for the construction of the new building of AJK Legislative Assembly.

The prime minister also announced Rs150 million for various development projects in the AJK. It is the collective responsibility of both the treasury and opposition benches to work for uplift of the area, adding that the opposition had the right of criticism but it should be constructive and not just for the sake of opposition.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed welcomed the prime minister to the joint sitting and thanked him for addressing the session to reiterate Pakistan’s moral and political support to the people of Held Kashmir.

Welcoming Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Speaker AJK Legislative Assembly Sardar Ghulam Sadiq said Pakistan is the centre of Kashmiris’ efforts for the right to self-determination.

Thanking Prime Minister Nawaz, Opposition Leader Sardar Farooq Haider urged the Pakistan government to ensure that benefits of the CPEC reached the people of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. In his speech, leader of the opposition Raja Farooq Haider said Pakistan is a source of strength and hope for Kashmiris in their just liberation struggle.