Despite Indian aggression: Fazl-led Kashmir panel yet to call its meeting

Opposition criticises JUI-F chief who heads the committee

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazlur Rehman has failed to call a single meeting of the Special Committee on Kashmir Affairs that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief heads after the recent spike in Indian aggression in the valley that has left over 30 Kashmiris dead and hundreds injured in the last three days.

The committee was supposed to highlight the Kashmir issue and in past several resolutions were passed against the Indian aggression.

However, since the recent crackdown started in Srinagar, the committee chairman has made only verbal statement and not summoned the committee’s meeting.

India has drawn international condemnation for using brute force against people protesting against the killing of pro-freedom activist Muzaffar Wani.

A senior official in the parliament told The Express Tribune that since the PML-N came into power only four meetings of the committee were held and the Kashmir issue was not discussed in the meetings. The official, requesting anonymity, said that last meeting took place on May 10, in which development projects of Kashmir and G-B were discussed.

Representatives of the opposition parties said the committee chairman should be removed for not calling the meeting despite the Indian aggression.

PTI lawmaker Engineer Dawar Khan Kundi, who is also member of the committee, said Fazl should have called the meeting the day these recent incidents started.

“I will write a letter to the chairman and ask him to call the meeting soon,” Kundi said. PPP lawmaker Nawab Ali Wassan said: “I will take up this issue soon and force the ruling party to remove Fazl, if he fails to call the meeting,” he added.

Fazl was not available for comment despite several attempts. Secretary Special Committee on Kashmir Affairs confirmed to The Express Tribune that the chairman has not called the meeting yet and hope that meeting will be called soon. He said that Fazlur Rehman held meeting with Prime Minister in Lahore in which issue was discussed in the meeting and hope committee’s meeting will be called soon by the chairman.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Standing committee on Kashmir Affairs Malik Chairman Ibrar Ahmed called its meeting on July 18. However, there is nothing on the agenda regarding the Kashmir issue. According to the agenda secretary Kashmir affairs will brief the lawmakers regarding the development of power and tourism sector in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

When contacted Ibrar said that Kashmir issue will be added in the agenda and it will be revised.

Fazl meets PM

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government and people of Pakistan respect the sentiments of their Kashmiri brethren and would continue to support the Kashmir cause at every international fora. He was talking to Fazl who called on him at Raiwind.

According to a statement from the PM's Camp Office, Fazl apprised the PM on his recent talks with the Kashmiri leadership over the human rights violations by the Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

The prime minister said the resolution of the Kashmir dispute was only possible through realisation of the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir, according to the UNSC resolutions, by holding a fair and impartial plebiscite under the UN.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2016.