PM Nawaz views guard of honour at AJK Assembly. PHOTO: INP
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that his government is open to any proposal on Kashmir dispute as he reiterated his call for meaningful dialogue over the lingering issue.
“We are ready to discuss and resolve all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir,” he said while addressing a joint session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly and Kashmir Council, convened in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day.
The prime minister stressed that Pakistan wanted to settle the Kashmir dispute peacefully. “The future of Pakistan and Kashmir is linked with each other. Uncertainty and confrontation will continue in the region until a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue is reached, and will cast a negative impact on regional development and stability,” he added.
The premier hoped New Delhi would realise the sensitivity of the matter, respond positively to Pakistan’s invitation for a peaceful dialogue and let the people of Kashmir decide their own fate.
“The Kashmir dispute is one of the oldest incomplete items on the United Nations agenda and must be resolved as per the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He noted that Pakistan had repeatedly expressed the desire to resolve the dispute through meaningful dialogue. “We offered the hand of friendship to India in 1998… that shows our commitment to normalising relations between the two countries.”
At the same time, the prime minister said Pakistan would continue supporting the people of Kashmir ‘morally, politically and diplomatically’ in their struggle. “Pakistan will keep up its struggle for the rights of the people of Kashmir at all national and international forums until bloodshed in the region ends and they get their due rights.”
He said the Kashmiris’ struggle was a ‘natural reaction’ to the atrocities perpetrated by Indian security agencies in the valley and ‘substantiated the fact that the issue could never be ignored’.
The premier added that the world was aware of the miseries of Kashmiri people and could not overlook the ‘usurpation of their rights and the oppression faced by them’.
“We cannot evade our responsibility of consoling innocent Kashmiris. Pakistan has been sticking to its stance of resolving the Kashmir issue according to the wishes of Kashmiri people.”
Prime Minister Nawaz said trade between the two parts of through the Line of Control (LoC) was an ample proof of Pakistan’s commitment with the people of Kashmir. “We want to see them prosper economically,” he said. He called for opening the LoC to allow families divided by the conflict to resume contact with each other.
The premier also expressed his desire to contribute to prosperity in AJK by developing the hydel power and tourism sector in the region. He said his government was looking into linking AJK to Pakistan by laying a railway track from Chakothi to Rawalpindi. He also urged the AJK youth to apply for loans under his business loan scheme.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ