President, MQM chief reiterate support to Kashmir cause

APHC chief urges politicians to put Kashmir into their poll manifestos.

KARACHI:

A seven-member delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq met President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday at the Bilawal House in Karachi.

During the meeting, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. The president said that people of Kashmir had given many sacrifices for upholding their dignity and freedom.

He called upon the international community to focus its attention towards the troubles of Kashmiris who have been waging a legitimate struggle to attain their right to self-determination for over six decades and suffered human rights violations time and time again.

The president said Pakistan firmly believes that a meaningful, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement with India would help in finding a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute.

Meeting with MQM

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), APHC leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged Pakistan’s political parties to highlight the Kashmir issue in their manifestos for the upcoming general elections.

Farooq met a delegation of the MQM at their headquarters Nine Zero, and also spoke to the party’s chief Altaf Hussain, who called for the Kashmir issue to be resolved in line with the wishes of the people, and said that talks without their representation would be meaningless.

Providing details of the meeting to the media, Farooq said, “we spoke openly about Kashmir and Indo-Pak relations, and we believe that our concerns are mirrored by the MQM and Altaf Hussain.”

The delegation of Kashmiri leaders from across the Line of Control (LoC) is visiting Pakistan for the first time in four years.

“We believe that any change [in Indo-Pak relations] will not persist as long as the basic issue – Kashmir – is solved. The primary issue is not trade or Sir Creek,” Farooq said adding that “Altaf’s team has assured us that without the involvement of the Kashmiris, progress will not be achieved.

Speaking to the APHC leader, Altaf offered his support to the people of Kashmir and urged them to unite, “because no movement could be successful without unity,” he said.

Altaf added that if the MQM was elected to all provincial assemblies, it would resolve the issue of Kashmir based on the wishes of the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2012.