Khattak says PTI govt has internationalised Kashmir issue

NOWSHERA: Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said on Sunday the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has successfully internationalised the case of the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir and it is no longer the internal issue of India.

“The way the Pakistani government raised the Indian oppressive measures in occupied Kashmir and occupation of the held valley on the international forums has no past precedent,” he said while speaking at a public meeting at Nowshera Kalaan. Several members of the Awami National Party (ANP), including Nawab Ali, Gohar Ali, Zulfiqar Ali, Zeeshan Ali, Iftikhar Ali, Shehzad Ahmad, Asif Ali, Qasim Khan and Sikandar Bacha left the Pakhtun nationalist party along with supporters and joined the ruling PTI during the well-attended function. The defence minister said the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi should know that the defence of Pakistan is in strong hands. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state. Our desire for peace should not be misconstrued for weakness. A conventional war, if triggered, may lead to a nuclear conflict,” pointed out the defence minister.

Pervez Khattak said the entire nation stand by the people of Kashmir. “The prime minister will expose the real face of India in the United Nations General Assembly and its belligerent posture along with war-mongering,” he added.

The defence minister said the country was faced with internal and external challenges, adding the situation demanded all the political leaders and people be united. He said the prime minister was making all efforts through a proper strategy to improve the economy, saying the economic problems of the people, including price hike, would be over soon. The defence minister said the PTI had become a strong political power under the leadership of Premier Imran Khan. He said the people had political awareness and knew well which party to support for the prosperity of the country and own welfare. Pervez Khattak said the former PTI-led government in KP had launched several programmes to reforms the government departments and taken steps for the welfare of the masses. “The Health, Education and Police were among the departments reformed,” he explained.

He said the KP government policies won a popular backing and that was why the masses gave even a bigger mandate to the PTI in the last year general election.

The defence minister said federal government was going to launch a comprehensive reform programme on the patron of the one introduced by the previous PTI government in KP to take the benefits to the people of all the four provinces.

Earlier, the new entrants to the ruling party came down hard on the ANP and said its leaders did nothing for the welfare of the masses. The speakers expressed full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.