Pakistan’s unflinching support for Kashmir cause reiterated

Islamabad : Nawabzada Iftakhar Ahmed Khan Babar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, has assured Pakistan’s unflinching support for the Kashmir cause across party lines and all segments of society.

Mr Khan was speaking as chief guest at a seminar to commemorate ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS). Mr Khan recalled that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah described Kashmir as the “Jugular Vein” of Pakistan and the Kashmiris had proved that they were the jugular vein of Pakistan. He highlighted the political unity within Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. He noted that India was attempting to make demographic changes through so-called delimitation process and introduction of domicile laws in the Occupied Kashmir which the Kashmiris and people of Pakistan had rejected. He stressed that the government would continue to raise these issues at every forum, as the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister had done.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Additional Secretary and Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in her keynote address enumerated how India adopted a four-pronged approach of disenfranchisement, suppression, disinformation and maligning the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris. Stressing that India must reverse its illegal and unilateral actions of Aug 5, 2019, she reiterated that Pakistan will continue to steadfastly and unequivocally support the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination until its full realisation.

In a recorded message, Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairperson, World Forum for Peace and Justice, thanked the people of Pakistan for their continuous support, prayers, compassion and understanding for the issues faced by the people of IIOJK. He called upon the international community and the UN Secretary General to fulfil their obligations towards the maintenance of peace as well as realisation of the Kashmiris’ rights as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions.

Mahmood Sagar, the Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, AJK, said that self-determination was an inalienable right of the Kashmiris and that their voice deserved to be heard in the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Khalid Mahmood, Chairperson, BoG, ISS, argued that the principle of self-determination is enshrined in the UN charter and that Pakistan has historically adopted an

extremely principled stance on the issue. Sohail Mahmood, Director General, ISS, and Dr Arshad Ali also spoke on the occasion.