Kashmir is jugular vein of Pakistan, says Mamnoon

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has said Thursday that Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan, adding that Pakistan would never waver from its principled stance on Kashmir.

Taking to a delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) that called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. As the Nation commemorates the Kashmir Solidarity Day on Friday, the President said that Kashmir issue could only be resolved by holding plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations resolutions.

He said that the purpose of today’s meeting was to assure Kashmiri people that the leadership and the people of Pakistan stood by them and fully support their just struggle for freedom.He noted that the people of Kashmir had been laying down their lives for the last sixty years for which the whole nation salutes them. He said that Pakistan would continue its political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for freedom and would also continue highlighting the persecutions being meted out to the people of Kashmir by the occupation forces at all forums.

President commended the determination and courage of Kashmiri people in their quest for freedom, adding that any change of government in Pakistan would not alter Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir and it would continue its support for the attainment of the right of self-determination by the people of Kashmir.

Hurriyat leaders expressed gratitude for sincere and emphatic support of the government and the people of Pakistan on Kashmir issue and said that the unflinching support of Pakistan kept the morale of Kashmiri people high in their quest for freedom.

They praised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for raising the Kashmir issue at the United Nations and for taking up the matter in his meetings with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama.

On the occasion, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir, acting Foreign Secretary Waheed-ul-Hassn and Hurriyat leaders including Farooq Rehmani, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Mehmood Sagar, Tahir Masood, Fiaz Naqashbandi, Malik Muhammad Majeed and Athar Masood Wani were also present during the meeting.Later, the president said that education was the key element in the progress of nations and called for concerted efforts to improve the standard of education.

While talking to Vice Chancellor Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Prof Dr Javed Ashraf, who called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said that Quaid-e-Azam University is a prestigious institution and asked the vice chancellor to take the university to new heights of academic excellence and discipline, adding that the university will have his full support in completion of the on-going development projects and in meeting its financial needs.