JI for raising Kashmir issue in proposed Pak-India talks

LAHORE:Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has stressed that any proposed talks between Islamabad and New Delhi must uphold the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.

‘No compromise on Kashmir will be acceptable to the Pakistani nation,’ he warned while addressing a press conference at Mansoorah. ‘If the government retreats even an inch from its principled stance on Kashmir, the nation will make an example out of it’, he said

The JI Emir declared India’s recent military defeat a symbolic blow, saying that the latest conflict between Pakistan and India exposed the anti-Muslim Zionist-Hindutva agenda. ‘One dreams of a 'Greater Israel,' the other of an 'Akhand Bharat',’ he said.

The JI chief also announced a series of upcoming events, including a visit to Azad Kashmir and the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday (today), followed by major ‘Defence of Pakistan & Solidarity with Gaza’ marches in Abbottabad on May 17, Chakdara on May 18, and Bannu on May 25.

Naeem ur Rehman urged the government to take constructive steps that strengthen national unity, especially during a time of heightened patriotic sentiment. He called for significant tax relief in the upcoming budget, including complete exemption for salaries up to Rs120,000. He demanded taxation on large feudal landowners and subsidies for small farmers through lower input costs. ‘Instead of distributing tractors for optics, the Punjab government should formulate real pro-farmer, pro-agriculture policies,’ he said.

Criticising former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s silence during the recent war, he said, ‘PMLN president will have to answer for his silence.’ He reiterated JI’s support for an impartial investigation into alleged election rigging, but clarified that this does not mean the party endorses every stance of PTI.

Referring to global players, he called on US President Donald Trump to pursue a Gaza ceasefire and push for a Kashmir solution in line with UN resolutions. ‘Peace in humanity is tied to peace in the Middle East,’ he noted.

He criticised advocates of friendship with New Delhi and Tel Aviv, saying their hopes crushed in the wake of the conflict, asserting that attempts to spread hopelessness in Pakistan have also failed. He urged the government to step up diplomatic efforts, ensure enforcement of the Indus Waters Treaty, and welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement ruling out compromise on Kashmir.

He criticised the silence of Muslim rulers on the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. ‘The Islamic world must realise that obedience to the US brings neither honour nor dignity,’ he said. Marking Nakba Day (May 15), he highlighted the racist foundations of the Zionist movement and praised the enduring Palestinian resistance.

He concluded by asserting that the struggle for freedom in Kashmir and Palestine align with the UN Charter, and that the recent conflict has shown the Muslim world Pakistan’s technological advancement — something, he said, the entire Ummah has welcomed.