Modi & Imran on same page on Kashmir: PDM

MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi were on the same page on Kashmir, saying the ‘incompetent’ rulers had no right to decide the fate of Kashmiris.

The 10-party opposition alliance staged a rally here to express solidarity with the Kashmiris on the Kashmir Solidarity Day, reports Geo News. Addressing the rally, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz Friday said when the people of Kashmir needed Prime Minister Imran Khan the most, he was registering cases against Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider.

"The election in Kashmir is coming soon and people demand that this 'fake' prime minister return us the Kashmir that was before August 5, 2019 or else he should resign."

She said when the people of Kashmir needed the incumbent prime minister, he was busy getting votes in his bid to gain seats in the Senate. "It is unfortunate that whenever the fall of Kashmir is discussed, Imran Khan is also mentioned," she said, asking the prime minister what message he had brought for the people of Kashmir on that day.

"Did you bring the message for them that you failed in your fight for them?" Speaking about her father Nawaz Sharif's tenure, Maryam said the country was on its way to prosperity and development during his government.

She said whenever a weak government was formed, it led to a weaker Pakistan. "One after the other, people are removed [from the office]." Maryam said had Nawaz been given more time, the Kashmir dispute would have been resolved, as for the first time an Indian prime minister had admitted that there should be a solution to the conflict.

Maryam claimed that the PTI government won’t be in power before elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, addressing the gathering, PDM chief Fazlur Rehman said the forces, trying to separate Kashmiris from Pakistan would be cursed upon in future." He said Kashmiri forefathers had decided to side with Pakistan, while the current generations were also following suit.

"As long as there was an elected government in Pakistan, no Modi dared to revoke Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's special status and make it an Indian province," Fazl said. “Today, Imran Khan and his lobby are mulling over Kashmir's divide and due to their consideration, Modi, taking advantage of the situation, took this step,” he claimed.

Using the platform to remind the people of Imran Khan's statements, Fazl said, "He was the one who wanted Modi to win. He is also the first man, who before coming into power, presented a formula to divide Kashmir into three parts."

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it was a "tragedy" that Pakistan — the country that saw the likes of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto as premiers — now had a ‘puppet’ and ‘selected’ prime minister.

"History will remember that when there were genocide conditions in Kashmir, when Kashmir was attacked, and when the entire region was turned into a jail, our prime minister, on the floor of the National Assembly, said 'what can I do?"

Bilawal said such a prime minister imposed a threat to Pakistanis and Kashmiris' freedom alike. Lashing out at the prime minister, he said the premier had claimed of becoming Kashmiris' ambassador, however, for now, "he was just Kulbhushan Jadhav's ambassador".

"He keeps reiterating that he won't give an NRO to others, however, he is trying to give an NRO to Kulbhushan Jadhav — and that too without informing the National Assembly, through an ordinance."