Pak support to Kashmiris’ just struggle to continue: Basit

ISLAMABAD: Celebrating its 69th Independence Day on Friday, Pakistan vowed to continue to support the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris irrespective of the time it takes for them to achieve their goal, a day after it had announced acceptance of India’s invitation for a meeting between the National Security Advisers (NSAs) in New Delhi.
At the same time, Islamabad emphasised that it always desired normal and cooperative relations with India and it was also essential to create a congenial bilateral environment by eschewing stereotypes and self-serving propaganda.
“No matter how much more time does their legitimate struggle take, Pakistan will never abandon the Kashmiris and their cause. It is necessary to settle all the outstanding issues, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir could neither be ignored nor put on the backburner,” said Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit at the flag raising ceremony in New Delhi on Friday.
As if a reminder was needed that the failure to solve the Kashmir issue was taking lives on a daily basis, the Independence Day saw the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) open unprovoked firing at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nezapir sector of Rawalakot.
Reacting to Abdul Basit’s statement about Pakistan’s assurance of continued support to the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle, the Indian External Affairs Ministry (MEA) spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted: “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will be the subject of August 23-24 India-Pakistan NSA-level talks.”
Meanwhile, as Abdul Basit spoke in Delhi, not too far away in the Bachpora area outside Srinagar, the Indian government was also given a reminder by Hurriyat leader Asiya Andrabi, head of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, by hoisting a Pakistani flag and singing the country’s national anthem with a group of women as they celebrated Pakistan’s Independence Day in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.