PHOTO: FILE
The brave people of Indian occupied Kashmir have rekindled the freedom movement with their blood. The Pakistani nation stands with their Kashmiri brethren, said Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. He expressed these views in a statement issued on Monday.
We salute the unshaken commitment of the Kashmiri people for the right of self-determination. These brave individuals are fighting a war for their survival and freedom, he said.
“The Kashmiris are rendering invaluable sacrifices for their rights by tolerating difficulties and hardships. India cannot deprive the people of their birth right by using state-sponsored terrorism. Depriving the Kashmiris of their right of self-determination is a blatant human rights violation,” the statement read.
The Indian government cannot suppress the passion of the Kashmiris through bullets. “The blood of innocent Kashmiris, who sacrificed their lives for freedom, will not have been shed in vain,” he added.
Pakistan has always raised their voice against Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir. Solving the dispute in light of the United Nations (UN) resolutions is imperative for durable peace in the region. India will have to solve the issue one day, he expressed.
The chief minister assured the people of Kashmir that the nation stands with them. “We strongly condemn the inhumane treatment meted out to the people of Indian occupied Kashmir. Pakistan reiterates its diplomatic, political and moral support for the people of Indian occupied Kashmir,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said that the Kashmir issue is the unfinished agenda of the subcontinent’s partition. The UN Security Council has passed two resolutions in order to resolve the issue which is binding on the international community.
“The genocide of Kashmiris and the war crimes by the Indian armed forms is a contravention of international humanitarian law,” he stated. Pakistan will welcome any multilateral effort to resolve the issue, he added.
Separately, a pictorial exhibition was held at Alhamra Arts Council on Monday to highlight the peaceful struggle of the Kashmiris. Speaking to the media at the occasion, Punjab Population Welfare Minister Hashim Dogar said that Pakistan wants to solve the Kashmir issue in a peaceful manner. “Countless Kashmiris have lost their lives in Indian occupied Kashmir,” he said.
An economically and militarily reliant Pakistan will force India to find a peaceful solution for the Kashmir issue, the minister said. “The purpose of our diplomatic efforts is to motivate the international community to force India to take practical measures in this regard,” he added.
On the other hand, Punjab Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister Ijaz Alam Augustine said that global powers must take notice of the brutality of Indian security forces.
The minister said that the violation of human rights in Indian occupied Kashmir is an ongoing issue which covers mass killings, forced disappearances, torture, rape, political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The Indian army, the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Personnel have been orchestrating the genocide of the Kashmiri people, he expressed.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government is committed to resolving the Kashmir issue. The government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, will highlight the issue at every international forum in order for its resolution, he stressed.
Further, Lahore Arts Council Executive Director Athar Ali Khan said that the Islamic world has always sided with the Kashmiri people on the issue and the country has always highlighted the plight of the Kashmiris at every international forum, he said.
The country has played its part in relaying the importance of the Kashmiris right of self-determination. The peaceful struggle of the Kashmiris will soon materialise, he added.
A seminar, chaired by Kanwal Feroze, was also held. Students from the Alhamra Academy of Performing Art presented their articles about the Kashmir issue. A large number of individuals attended the seminar.
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