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Pakistan for peaceful, just resolution of Kashmir issue: Khar
Khar hopeful of engaging with India to resolve issues through sustained dialogue, Kashmir remained a key issue.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar talks to the Chairman APHC, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. PHOTO: NNI
NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar while addressing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Contact group on Jammu and Kashmir (ministerial level) said that Pakistan wanted a peaceful and just solution in Kashmir.
Khar, who was accompanied by the Chairman of All Parties of the Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said ”[We are] grateful to OIC for support on Jammu and Kashmir” adding, “this gives the cause [Kashmir cause] and the people of Jammu and Kashmir strength given the OIC is looking at this [situation].”
Khar said that the India had been consistently trampling the voice of Kashmiris “India has shown little regard for the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”
She also deplored the brutal police action in Kashmir “scores of Kashmiri youth have been arrested.”
Addressing the session, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference said that despite the peace talks between India and Pakistan, the human rights situation in Kashmir had not changed. Highlighting the issue of the recently discovered mass graves in Kashmir, Mirwaiz called on the OIC to send a fact finding group to investigate the issue, as well as the UN working group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to conduct an investigation.
Addressing the media later, FM Khar said that she had highlighted Pakistan’s stance, the toll terrorism has taken on the country and the recent floods in her bilateral meetings. She said that apart from Japan’s pledge for more assistance, the Saudi government has already given some assistance for the flood victims. Khar said that she looked forward to interacting with the Indian delegation on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the SAARC ministerial group. She added that while she was hopeful of engaging with India to resolve issues through sustained dialogue, Kashmir remained a key issue.
Reader Comments (36)
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What about Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Ladakhis?
Obviously they don’t exist for OIC – this is why OIC has no business commenting on Kashmir!!
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look who is talking about Human rights and equality.Its like Charles Madison lecturing about Criminality and mass murder..,,,
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best and only solution is to make LOC as international border.
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Indian terrorism continues…Noble prize winner Obama who promised in his election campaign to find a solution for Kashmir, retreated…UN is sleeping….Along with Kashmiris many Muslims allover the world r dying….from Chechnya to Palestine & Libya to Afghanistan Muslims r the target of so called brutal liberals…Is this how the humans r treated?? we Muslim ask to all those criminal culprits hidden in shape of India,Israel,Us,Russia & the list goes on….
Kashmir & all the Muslims allover the world will b free from you terrorists one day…we will unite & we will rise once again…
Pakistan Zindabad….Islam Zindabad!!
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It can stay as the key issue. we don’t give a hoot!!!!!!!!
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Not sure what lady Gaga refers to peaceful means to resolve Kashmir – her so called freedom fighters are far from that, supported by her men under the garb of jihad.
And frankly, I do not see what is the issue – Kashmir acceded to India – period, whether the Maharaja was liked or not is irrelevant – the British were not liked either.
The comparison with Junagadh/ Hyderabad is again a no brainer – How can a country formed on TNT agree to take a large Hindu population. India rejected the TNT (including maintsream media in Pakistan who now beleive that is not relevant) – so accession of a majority Muslim state is perfectly ok – there is no duplicity here.
As regards, plebisicte – the UN resolutions (which incidentally are not mandatory) require the withdrawal of Pakistan first from AK/ POK.
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Ms.Khar is new to the political scene. Talking Kashmir issue with OIC and APHC is not going to bring her to the Indian table to break bread. Kashmir history in India goes way way back and Indians are not going to yield in their positions. Kashmir is as important to Indians as Jerusalem is to Israel.
In the world view and in factual view, PAK is the agressor in the Kashmir conflict and occupying the Kashmiri land against the UN charter. That said, passage of time change events of history. The present Govt of India and opposition parties are in agreement that LOC should become the defined border. Pak should seize the moment and get on with her life. Indian Kashmir has an elected government, which comes under Indian constitution, and Kashmir public debt is borne by the rest of the Indians.
Islamic ideology across the border or PAK national interest for Her own prosperity?
At the time of partition PAK had surplus trade balances, and estimates by US Federal reserve, now became public, were that PAK will surpass India in growth. Now?
What was the total cost to Pakistan in her obsession with Kashmir? Kashmir national assembly still has vacant seats for their members of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. What does it tell to PAK regarding Kashmiri interest.
Kashmir has its own constitution which comes under preview of Indian constitution and ratified by Joint session of j&K assembly. If PAK does not like it, it is too bad.
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Listening to these people is like listening to a tape recorder. They pretty much say the same thing over and over again.
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oh please. kashmir belongs to the kashmiri people. both pakistanis and indians need to get their dirty hands out of there.
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@Aadersh:
meanwhile muslims will continue killing muslims all over your country.i thank my stars that my ancestors didnt perform the hijrat in 1947.
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@Aadersh:
and brother u forgot to include china in the list.maybe xingjiang muslims are not that important to you.
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I hope Pakistan shows same solidarity for baluchistan and Kp people. . All hails to khar
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There is only one way to solve the Kashmir issue – do a repeat of Bangladesh, create Sindhudesh.
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Pakistan has lost its position on Kashmir given to violence and killing against it own people. Violence instigated by Muslims against fellow Muslims has diluted Pakistan’s claim of being a Fort of Islam. Bodies like OIC know the fact well but pose to inveigle a loud-mouthed nation who is far behind the realties of modern world.
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Well said Kashmir is as important to Indian as Jeruselum to Israel , The Temple of Aadi Guru Shkaracharya is there , Amar Nath shrine is there . Sindhu Sangat is there . Awantee Puram is there and Hazarat bal mosque of Indian muslim is there That is why Kashmir is regarded as an integral part of India .therefore, Kashmir is KAAL for Pakisuan and for anti Indian muslims !Recommend
The hypocrisy here is that while the Pakistani Government lectures endlessly to India, it ignores the brutalities of its chief benefactor on Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.
When asked why? They will probably go silent or claim its the internal dispute of China. Well, so is Kashmir for India!
Thats not all, the hypocrisy once again surfaces when Pakistan lectures on Human Rights when worse is happening in Balochistan.
There is another instance where the Government is struggling to install Democracy in Pakistan and make it relevant, but goes ahead and meet a bunch of people who have never fought an election but call themselves people’s representatives. Isn’t this irony?
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Kashmir is a disputed territory currently under the occupation of India. It has seen lots of violence as a result of India being currently unable to see the truth. Kashmir is important to Kashmiris, not indians. India cannot suppress the aspirations of the Kashmiris which are to gain their right to self-determination. It’s pretty insensitive to Kashmiris to be forced to try to prove india’s delusions. Recommend
So, what is Pakistan going to gain by fighting a proxy war against India using terrorists? Pakistan should count its blessings that it occupies northern areas, Gilgit, Baltistan and “Azad” Kashmir and hope to get India drop its claim on these areas. Already, people in these areas have started demanding independence from Pakistan now that they have seen what Pakistan has become. The shias of Gilgit/Baltistan have already expressed strong dislike to being ruled by Pakistan. If Pakistan does not wise up, it will stand to lose these areas in the future for sure.
India can afford to let the Kashmir issue prolong while still growing its economy at 8-10% rate as it has been doing for the past decade. On the other hand, Pak economy has been shrinking. Can Pakistan really afford to maintain its confrontational stance against a country with 12 times the resources?
More and more sane Pakistanis are beginning to see the futility of Pakistan’s obsession with Kashmir and Afghanistan and have started speaking out loud against the failed foreign policy. Isn’t it time to know when one is fighting a losing battle? Recommend
The only solution is for the Kashmiris to decide for themselves.
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It can only happen in a country like India where Barrister Sultan Mahmood , the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistani visits Srinagar, the capital city of J&K, and addresses a ‘huge’ gathering at Lal Chowk and vows to support the ‘freedom struggle’ and stresses moral, political and financial support on behalf of Pakistan to Kashmiri struggle of freedom. He brasses Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the well known separatist leader at his residence in Srinagar and expresses his happiness with tears in his eyes and smile on his face that he is in ‘Ghulam Kashmir’. Barrister Sultan Mahmood attends marriage of the son of a wealthy businessman where he meets Omar Abdullah, the (weak and puppet) Chief Minister of J&K. And he also further visits to Pahalgam, the beautiful tourist spot. Oh yes…! Ms Radha Kumar, the social activist and a member of Kashmir Committee founded by the Government of India is also present in one of such meetings.
The Express Tribune has given a beautiful picture of two young and equally beautiful persons taking on the contentious issue of Kashmir. Instead they must also discuss as to how many democratic countries are there in OIC. Geelani Saheb and the Mirwaiz are respected sons of the soil. For them ‘freedom’ from the clutches of a tyrant nation like India is the utmost goal. God bless all of us.Recommend
Where this OIC and Ms.Khar, when China executed Uighurs few days back ? Hypocrisy to the core.
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Pakistan is a model of peace, democracy and freedom. Kashmir should be included in Pakistan so that it can also become peaceful.
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Creation of Sindhudesh or Balochistan or Pakhtunistan are no solution to the problems that Pakistan is facing today. Pakistan has gone lost in the black-hole of blunders that it created to bleed India. The country has lost its viability in modern world. Recommend
International community is utterly apathetic to Pakistan’s policy regarding Indian Kashmir. Extending moral, political, and diplomatic support to so the called; “Kashmir freedom struggle” is amount to supporting terrorism in Indian Kashmir. No country on face of the earth is ready to toe this line. Pakistan is already trapped in the vicious cycle of sectarian violence, terrorist acts, and last but not the least, the endless dictum from the United States to compromise Pakistan sovereignty. Recommend
it seems you not read newspaper or watch news channel………Recommend
OIC should give membership to India also, After all we are also having huge muhajir sorry urdu speaking muslim population.
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Dear brothers and sisters of Pakistan. Forget about Kashmir and start building our nation. Put our efforts to save the millions of Pakistanis from the floods. Ask our government to work for pakistanis sufferring from floods & not to distract us using the Kashmir problem.
Dear ET , why there is not a single article condemming the slow government action on floods ?
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Let kashmir be a separate State . this is the only fair solution.
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How one can think of Kashmir as a saperate state when it is an integral part of India .Pakistan has to vaccate the occupied kashmir as people there are now seeing the condition of Islamic Republic of Pakistan ,
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When Pakistan talks about Self determination in Kashmir why every one forgets the history of Baluch people. what happened to Nawab Nowroz (Babu Nawroz) in 1958, In 1962 to second Baluch rebellion known as the Parari resistance from Jhaawan to Marri and Bugti where Gen Tikka khan earned the title of “Butcher”. Then again in 1973 under Mir Hazar Khan when in 1974 Bhutto sent helicopter gunships to butcher innocents, and 1975 Khair Baksh Marri was arrested and disappeared.In 2005 BLA appeared. Musharraf went in guise of discussion and blasted and killed hundreds in Bugti.In contrast every shade of opposition leader lives in Indian side of Kashmir and we talk to them for a solution. It can only happen in a country like India where Barrister Sultan Mahmood , the ex-Prime Minister of Pakistani visits Srinagar, the capital city of J&K, and addresses a ‘huge’ gathering at Lal Chowk and vows to support the ‘freedom struggle’ and stresses moral, political and financial support on behalf of Pakistan to Kashmiri struggle of freedom. The Hurriat leaders are permitted to meet the visiting Madam Khar in Delhi. Lean what a democracy and freedom of expression means please.We don’t butcher with whom we disagree. We still honor the dissidence.Recommend
@Hussain Syed:
Dear Hussain – If the Punjabis, Sindhis or Bengalis were not asked whether they wanted India/ Pakistan but rather the decision was thrust upon them by the people in power, why should the same be afforded to Kashmiris. I dont want to sound insensitive – there was a decision making authority who acceded to India – period. The point on plebiscite only arises when Pakistan agreed to withdraw its forces – it hasnt, so the applicability of all clauses have to be seen in full.I dont want to sound insensitive – but talking purely practically.
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@Aadersh:
“we Muslim ask to all those criminal culprits hidden in shape of India,Israel,Us,Russia & the list goes on….”
“the list goes on…”. Indeed, the list has almost every nation of the world on it. Why not leave the world of “all those criminal culprits”? If you feel you are in a jail where “criminal culprits” reside, the only way you can be away from them is to leave their jail. I think with the kind of resources these “culprit nations” have, it should not be difficult to eject anyone who wants to opt out into space!
@Mir Agha:
“. Kashmir is important to Kashmiris, not indians. “
Kashmir is not only important but has now become sacred to all Indians , east to west, north to south from where its young men and women shed their blood for that part of India. It may be important to Kashmiri Muslims but not nearly so. You can agitate till “qayammat”, rest assured Kashmir will be forever INDIA!
@Kataria:
“The only solution is for the Kashmiris to decide for themselves.”
They did. And wrote a Constitution for themselves wherein they described themselves to be an integral part of India. I don’t see any conditionalities attached to that assertion!
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@ PC AND DIN , Wonderful comment . Our Nawab is no more now ! thats why no more comment only for today from me on the issue ,
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hmmmmmm…………………
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Arabs should accept and give full **citizenship** with equal rights to all those people in Indian subcontinent who consider themselves Arabs and not Indians. What right do Arabs have in on Indian holy land?Recommend
@John B:
Kashmir is as important to Indians as Jerusalem is to Israel
very well said. in fact all Indians irrespective to their beliefs should now give up the soft position that somehow we may accept LOC as international border and take a hard stand and announce that Kashmir is as important to India as Mecca, Medina and Karbala are to Muslims.
I’m not from right wing but history and especially present world situation makes it clear that there no use talking with Jihadis. They are bloodthirsty and nothing else satisfies them.
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