Kashmir is a critical international issue: Qureshi

Says EU parliamentary leaders have demanded resolving issue according to aspirations of Kashmiris

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir is that it is a critical international level issue.

“The issue should be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiris,” said Qureshi while addressing an in-camera conference of National Assembly’s Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir chaired by its Chairman MNA Syed Fakhar Imam on Friday.

The foreign minister said Pakistan would continue to support the struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination.

“We were with our Kashmiri brothers and will be in the future as well,” said Qureshi, adding that they would continue to raise their voice on every forum against the atrocities being committed against the unarmed Kashmiris.

The foreign minister said 2018 was the year of severe barbarism in which more than 500 Kashmiris were martyred.

In 2019, 9,426 Kashmiris were injured by pellet guns.



Qureshi said that the report of the United Nations Human Rights Commission “has confirmed our stance”.

The report demanded taking action against the accused, he added.

“The UK Parliamentarians have also passed a unanimous resolution on Kashmir which concluded that the problem of Kashmir should be resolved according to the UN resolutions,” said Qureshi, adding that in order to record their protest, they did not participate in the OIC Foreign Minister Conference after India was invited.

In the presence of India’s Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj at the OIC Conference, India was awarded the title of “State Terrorism” due to the atrocities committed against the innocent Kashmiris, said Qureshi.

He said an Islamic summit was being held in Makkah this month, adding that on May 29, a meeting of the foreign ministers would be held in which he would represent Pakistan.

Qureshi said, “As India claims to be the world’s largest democratic country, its dark face will have to be brought before the world.”

He said when “we raised our voice for Kashmiris in the House of Commons” in London regarding Kashmir Day on February 5, the “representatives of all Pakistan’s political parties were united” and there was no space in the British Parliament.

Then, on February 19, 2019, parliamentary leaders of the European Union passed a unanimous resolution demanding resolving the Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of the Kashmiris.

“This is all our diplomatic success,” said Qureshi. “The Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir has great importance and we will continue to support this committee at all forums.”