Pakistan continues to raise voice for oppressed Kashmiris at all int’l forums: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday reiterated that Pakistan continues to raise the voice for the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir at all international forums including the UN, the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other human rights organisations.

The foreign minister passed these remarks while meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Self-determination Movement-International Chairman Raja Najabat Hussain who called on him in Islamabad.

"Kashmir dispute is an important pillar of our foreign policy," FM Qureshi said."Pakistan will continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the right to self-determination."

Referring to the Indian atrocities on Kashmiri people, the foreign minister added all the people of the besieged valley had rejected the illegal and unilateral steps of August 5 last year.

On November 3, a dialogue was held between High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell and FM Qureshi.

A statement was issued as part of the joint communiqué after the fifth round of EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue.

The statement said that the European Union (EU) was closely following the human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), as the foreign policy chief of 27-nation bloc called for “restraint, de-escalation of tensions and resolution of the dispute through dialogue and constructive political and diplomatic engagement.”