AJK president slams Indian killings in Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday strongly condemned the unabated killings, use of pellet guns, maiming and disgracing of Kashmiris by the Indian occupation forces and urged the British Parliament to put pressure on India for an amicable settlement of Kashmir issue under UN resolutions.

He paid rich tributes to the Kashmiri people and Hurriyat leadership in Indian Occupied Kashmir, who courageously face the persecution and victimisation by Indian occupation forces. Masood Khan was speaking here at joint news conference along with Member of British Parliament Afzal Khan, who is on an official visit to Pakistan. He thanked Afzal Khan for his resolute stance on the issue of Kashmir.

He said that legislators of Pakistani and those having Kashmiri origin had always played a pivotal role in highlighting the Kashmir issue in the British Parliament and their efforts in sensitizing the British people on the human right violations taking place in Indian Occupied Kashmir were highly commendable.

President AJK said that India had always created hurdles for a political, diplomatic and peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute for the past 70 years. “India has falsely and maliciously demonized the peaceful political struggle in the occupied Kashmir by terming it as militancy and terrorism,” he said.

Commending the role of numerous British MPs and Lords, who had time and again raised the issue of Kashmir in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, President Masood Khan said, “we are hopeful that the British Parliament will put pressure on their government and their Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in compelling India to amicably settling the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Highlighting the plight of the Kashmiris being persecuted in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the President said that India has used various machinations in a desperate bid to curtailing the indigenous freedom struggle.

To a question on the civilians living on the LOC, the President said that increase in compensation was being discussed and funds have been approved for the construction of bunkers. He said that India was deliberately escalating the situation by violating the ceasefire agreement. “Pakistan has always shown restraint in retaliatory fire and avoiding first fire, as we consider the civilians living in IOK as our own citizens. Our citizens living in areas close to the LOC in AJK are at the frontline of Indian fire and we will do everything to ensure their safety and welfare,” he noted.

Afzal Khan, on the occasion, said that the international community must take cognisance of the human right violations taking place in IOK. He said the world must not prioritize political, economic and strategic interests over the atrocities taking place in IOK.

President thanked the Labour Party for including a commitment on Kashmir in its election manifesto and for trying to shine a light on the issue in the House of Commons.