Nation united on Kashmir issue, Senate told

Pakistani nation was united for the Kashmir cause, says FM Qureshi in a policy statement

ISLAMABAD: The senators on Thursday debated the prevailing situation in the Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told the house that the entire nation was united despite the political differences.

During the proceedings, Opposition Leader Raja Zafarul Haq praised the government's Kashmir policy and appreciated the stance adopted by Iran, China, Turkey, and Bangladesh on this issue. He asked the government to take further steps to send a message of support to the Kashmiris.

Qureshi said in a policy statement that the Pakistani nation was united for the Kashmir cause. He added that the UN Security Council session proved that Kashmir was an international dispute. The government would have to take a step forward to unite the country, he added.

Earlier, initiating the debate, Haq said that Kashmir can only be liberated through jihad. He regretted the stance adopted by the US and some Muslim countries on the issue. However, he praised Iran and Bangladesh for extending support to the Kashmiris.

He said that the government was taking this issue seriously. He mentioned that the US president backed out from his mediation offer. But in this situation, China stood firm on its stance. He also appreciated the statement issued by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Senator Sherry Rehman said India did not appear to be interested in peace. She regretted the 'criminal' silence of some world organisations on the situation in occupied Kashmir, which has become "the world's biggest open-air jail".

Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that unless blood spilled in the streets of Kashmir, Indian Premier Narendra Modi would not listen. He added that freedom could not be achieved by observing black days and passing declarations at forums like the United Nations.

The House was informed that at noon on Friday (today), Prime Minister Imran Khan will reach the parliament lawn on the occasion of 'Kashmir Hour'. At 12.00 noon National Anthem will be played and the National flag and the flag of Azad Kashmir will be unfurled.

Also on Thursday the upper house of parliament passed a resolution to establish an ‘International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC)’, which would be a worldwide network of individual members of parliaments across countries.

The idea of the IPC was conceived by the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The resolution, tabled by the leader of the house, said that the members of parliaments (MPs) have a key role to play in national and global efforts to promote and protect human rights, democracy, and peace.

The house authorised the Senate chairman to take all necessary measures for establishing and making the IPC a unique platform to bring together parliamentarians from around the world not just as regional or national representatives, but more so as global representatives of the whole humanity.

With additional input from APP