FM Qureshi inaugurates exhibition in London to mark Kashmir Day

Exhibition showcased a wide array of photographs that shed light on plight of innocent Kashmiris

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday inaugurated an exhibition in London to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, said a statement released by the Foreign Office.

British Member of Parliament Imran Hussain, and Chairperson of World Congress of Overseas Pakistanis (WCOP) Naheed Randhawa, jointly hosted the exhibition in a show of moral support to those oppressed in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), where the grave human rights situation has attracted global attention.

The event was attended by British Parliamentarians, members of Cross-party Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate of Pakistan, local government mayors and councilors, representatives from civil society organisations, students, Kashmiris and members of the British Pakistani Diaspora.

The exhibition showcased a wide array of photographs that shed light on the plight of innocent Kashmiris, particularly pellet gun victims including women and children, who have suffered from injuries at the hands of Indian security forces in occupied Kashmir. A part of the display of Indian atrocities pertained to genocide and dozens of massacres carried out by occupation forces.

My message on #KashmirSolidarityDay pic.twitter.com/nq5AOCNiDo

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 5, 2019

A number of Kashmiri artefacts were also on display along with pictures depicting the heavenly landscape and pristine beauty of Jammu and Kashmir. This stood in sharp contrast to the present-day situation where violence continues to inflict suffering upon the people of IoK through the use of draconian laws and Indian state sponsored terrorism, which is in complete disregard and violation of the United Nations (UN) and other international conventions on human rights.

On the occasion, a number of documentaries and slide shows pertaining to the people of Jammu and Kashmir’s endless sufferings were also shown to the audience. The pictorial presentations were reflective of the crimes against humanity committed by Indian state agencies.

In his remarks as the chief guest the foreign minister, while highlighting the prevailing human rights situation in IoK, condemned the ongoing atrocities and expressed solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle for their legitimate right to self-determination, which is also enshrined in UN Security Council Resolutions.

He assured that the government and people of Pakistan remain steadfast in their moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris.



"The Pakistan government and its people spare no occasion to create awareness on the bloodshed in occupied Kashmir with the view that is halted immediately and unconditionally, and that the perpetrators of crimes against innocent Kashmiris are brought to justice," Qureshi said.

The High Commissioner for Pakistan, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, while speaking on the occasion, called for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute, which remains one of the oldest unresolved agenda items at the UN Security Council.

AJK's President Sardar Masood Khan urged the international community to speak for the voiceless and oppressed Kashmiris.

British Parliamentarians who spoke at the event included Imran Hussain MP, Lord Qurban Hussain and Debbie Abrahams MP. Other speakers included Naheed Randhawa, Barrister Sultan Mehmood and Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin.