Mandela’s son-in-law backs Pakistan on Kashmir issue

Thumbumuzi Dlamini regrets Indian atrocities in IOK

ISLAMABAD: Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini, son-in-law of the late South African president Nelson Mandela, on Tuesday regretted that the people of Occupied Kashmir were being subjected to brutal repression by India and hoped that normalcy would return to the valley soon.

“Nelson Mandela had a clear stance on the [Kashmir] dispute and we understand the sentiments of its people,” Dlamini, a prince of Eswatini or Swaziland, said during a meeting with Senator Faisal Javed in Islamabad.

In 1998, Mandela had raised the issue of Kashmir at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Durban.

He had pointed out that the issue of Kashmir remained a “concern for all of us” and insisted on its resolution through peaceful negotiations – much to the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had denounced the South African leader for speaking on the matter.

Dlamini, who is an elder brother of the reigning king of Swaziland, Mswati III, is on a visit to Pakistan along with Senator Prince Magudvulela.

He praised the efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan in raising the plight of Kashmiris in the world.

“PM Imran Khan’s meeting with Nelson Mandela was a historic event,” he added, referring to the premier attending a dinner hosted by the late South African leader in 1997.

Dlamini informed the senator that PM Imran had several fans in South Africa.

“The cricket ties between Pakistan and South Africa are of a historic nature,” he noted, adding that he had met the head of the South African cricket board and informed him that Pakistani fans wanted the Proteas team to visit their country.

AJK journalists briefed on govt’s efforts to highlight Kashmir issue

“Hopefully, the South African cricket team will come to Pakistan soon.”
Senator Javed expressed his gratitude to Dlamini for lending his support to Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir.

The delegation also met National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who informed them current situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The national assembly deputy speaker said the Indian government had deprived Kashmiris of their legitimate right of identity by revoking Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution.

He noted that a lockdown had been imposed in the valley for the last 183 days.

“The entire Kashmiri leadership is in prison and media freedom has also been curtailed to suppress the voice of the Kashmiri people,” he added.

“Kashmiris are compelled to live in a miserable state in extreme weather conditions because of the ongoing lockdown in the valley as they are being deprived of all basic necessities of life, including food, medicine and fuel.”