PML-N, PPP reject PM’s double referendums idea

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday categorically rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s proposal of holding a referendum on Kashmir to decide whether the Kashmiris wanted to live with Pakistan or as an independent nation.

In their separate statements, the PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif and JI Naib Ameer Liaquat Baloch said that Imran Khan’s proposal on referendum is deviation from Pakistan’s historic stance on Kashmir.

Shehbaz Sharif slammed the prime minister for giving a proposal of Kashmir referendum. ‘Imran Khan Niazi is deviating from Pakistan’s historical and constitutional position by proposing a referendum,’ he said. He said the entire nation rejects anything other than Pakistan’s historic position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and UN Security Council resolutions.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday also rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s proposal to hold a referendum in Kashmir to decide whether the Kashmiris want to live with Pakistan or as an independent nation.

His remarks came a few hours after Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had rejected the premier’s proposal, reported Geo News.

Bilawal, speaking to media in Karachi, said, ‘PM Imran Khan always manages to say the wrong thing about Kashmir. He considers the people of Kashmir fools and traitors. From the beginning, PPP has always maintained that the Kashmiri people should decide their fate.’

Speaking about the July 25 AJK Legislative Assembly election, the PPP chairman said that if a fair election would be held, then his party would emerge victorious. ‘The jiyalas fought against rigging before and are ready to do it again.’

Addressing an election rally in Tarar Khal on Friday, the PM had promised the people of Kashmir that his government was ready to hold a referendum in which they could choose to join Pakistan or become an independent state. The prime minister had said he wanted to make it clear that in 1948, there were two United Nations Security Council resolutions which granted the people of Kashmir the right to decide their future. ‘According to the UN resolutions, the people have to decide whether they want to join Hindustan or Pakistan,’ he said. ‘I want to clarify to all of you today. Insha Allah, a day will come, when all the sacrifices made by the people of Kashmir will not be wasted. God will grant you that right. There will be a referendum, Insha Allah,’ Imran said.

Shehbaz said that Imran Niazi’s statement has proved the concerns that have already come before the nation with the Indian measures of August 5, 2019.

Khan went on to state that after the UN mandated referendum, his government will hold another referendum, where the people of Kashmir will be given the choice to either live with Pakistan or become an independent state. ‘The Jammu and Kashmir dispute will be decided according to a transparent and independent plebiscite held under the auspices of the United Nations and this is the position of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir.’ The PML-N president said that imposing a solution on Kashmiris without their consent and consultation is tantamount to helping India and betraying the Kashmir cause.

JI Naib Ameer Liaquat Baloch also strongly condemned the prime minister’s proposal, saying by proposing a referendum, Imran Khan accepted India’s action in Occupied Kashmir. He said that the similar proposal was also given by dictators like Pervez Musharraf. ‘By giving such a proposal Imran Khan acted like a tool in the hands of external powers and deviated from Pakistan’s historic stance on Kashmir. Baloch apprehended that one day the incumbent government would also deviate from Pakistan's stance on Kashmir.

President of the National Labour Federation (NLF), Shamsur Rehman Swati questioned whether Imran Khan gave a statement without any thought as per his habit. He observed that if Imran Khan floated a proposal with any thought then there was some deep conspiracy behind it.