Indian atrocities cannot suppress voice of Kashmiri people: AJK president

Says India is violating human rights in Kashimir

ISLAMABAD: President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday said that the horrendous killings of Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir by Indian forces could not suppress their voice for freedom nor deter them from continuing their struggle.

Speaking at Islamabad International Counter Terrorism Forum, he said that India had introduced several draconian laws to suppress the voice of Kashmiris but it had miserably failed.

The three-day forum organised by National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) started with an aim to highlight Pakistan’s endeavours and achievements in the war against terror.



“The draconian laws empower Indian forces to employ all sort of brutal means to crush the Kashmiris,” the AJK president said adding that freedom was the legitimate right of Kashmiri people and Indian atrocities could not deprive them of that right.

He pointed out that India was violating international human rights in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that as far as war against terror was concerned, Afghanistan was in a state of turbulence, while Pakistan had been quite successful to defeat the menace.of terrorism

He elaborated after a warmth in US-India relations, the US had started to see Kashmir issue from the Indian prism. He said India was projecting itself as a champion of liberty but unfortunately its attitude and activities in Occupied Kashmir were contrary to that.



Khan said that after 9/11, Pakistan faced huge challenges and it rendered matchless sacrifices in the war against terror. “The lesson we have learnt from 9/11 incident is also to make Pakistan economically strong.

He said that US withheld security assistance to Pakistan and that might also be the result of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as President Trump and his associates seemed uncomfortable due to this (Pak-China) close association.

He said that Pakistan should continue its ties with China besides looking for new avenues of relations with Russia. But at the same time it should also try to have good relations with the US, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2018.