PM supports Kashmir's struggle

Shehbaz says peace depends on granting rights to Kashmiris, Palestinians

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asserted on Monday that ensuring the due rights of the people of Kashmir and Palestine was the only way to maintain peace and stability in the region.

In a televised address to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Youm-e-Istehsal, the prime minister hoped that both India and Israel would eventually have to concede these rights, warning that any other alternative would lead to catastrophic consequences. "The day is not far away when both India and Israel will be bound to give due rights to the people of IIOJK and Palestine."

Pointing out that while Pakistan's nuclear power status forms a crucial part of its defence, the country has never harboured aggressive intentions regarding its nuclear capabilities.

"Therefore, the better option is to adopt the peaceful way and sit together to find out the peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute."

The prime minister pointed out that this occasion reminded us of the grave consequences of India's illegal actions of 5 August 2019 vis-à-vis IIOJK.

He said efforts were being made to silence the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people and muzzle the media. "The number of political prisoners remains in their thousands, while 14 political organizations have been outlawed."

Harassment of innocent people, arbitrary detentions, and the so-called 'cordon and search operations have become a matter of routine. The Indian forces are operating with impunity, according to them under different draconian laws, he added.

PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed that until the Kashmiris get basic rights and freedom, Pakistan will continue to extend moral support and will continue to knock on the doors of all the international institutions. Paying tributes to the people of Kashmir, he said "We salute to their struggle for freedom. They had been bearing the atrocities and cruelties of the Indian armed forces for 77 years".

He also paid tributes to the Hurriyat leaders including Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Sardar Ibrahim Khan, Mirwaiz Muhammad Yousuf, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Moulana Abbas Ansari and all the young workers and leaders who raised their voices against the Indian atrocities.

"We salute Asiya Andrabi, Yaseen Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Mussarat Alam Butt, and Burhan Wani for their struggle for freedom.

As regards, the Palestine situation, the prime minister said more than 40,000 Palestinians had been martyred so far including thousands of children. The unarmed Palestinians were still being martyred every day, he said.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through his army has broken the records of barbarism in Palestine, he said adding that recently, in Tehran, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was martyred.

In Pakistan, he said a day of mourning was observed and funeral prayers in absentia were performed across the country.