PM for further unity to infuse vigour, strength to Kashmir cause

Muzaffarabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday stressed upon forging of unity and solidarity by shunning all the political differences which would further infuse vigour and strength to the Kashmir cause.

Addressing a special session of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (AJKL) on the occasion of ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’, the prime minister said the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared Kashmir as ‘a jugular vein of Pakistan’.

The prime minister said that divisions were apparent in the society which was regrettable, but when it came to the issue of Kashmir, in Muzaffarabad, AJK and Pakistan, the people, all the political parties, their leadership and the assembly members were in unison which reflected the national unity, harmony and solidarity that certainly perturbed India.

“When a society moves with unity, its goals are achieved, giving it further power and strength,” he observed.

The prime minister said that the entire 220 million Pakistani nation and the Kashmiris, on the day, gave a clear message of national unity.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), for the last 75 years, he said, the blood of innocent Kashmiris was spilled mercilessly.

The prime minister referred to one of the gory incidents in IIOJK in which a little kid was seen sitting on the chest of his slain grandfather with melancholic looks.

The whole world witnessed the heart-wrenching spectacle, he said, adding thousands of Kashmiri Muslims had been subjected to cruelties and brutalities unleashed by Indian occupation forces while thousands were martyred.

He recalled that during 2019, Prime Minister Modi had deprived the IIOJK of its special status, turning the whole occupied valley into an open jail.

The prime minister said that the barbaric and inhuman treatment of Kashmiri people would not last for long, as the mothers, sons and children had given huge sacrifices with valour which would see light of the day.

The prime minister referred to events in Sudan, North Ireland and East Timor which had been divided on religious and political basis. In Bosnia, the world conscience woke up when thousands were killed. Mass graves were unearthed which spoke volume of cruelties.

On one hand, these scenes moved the world while on the other hand, efforts were being made to equate the aggressor with the victims in IIOJK, the prime minister regretted.

Despite all this, the prime minister said the Pakistani people and all the political governments always raised their voice for the Kashmir cause and wholeheartedly supported it as Kashmir was their jugular vein.

He said in 1954, Nehru had made a commitment in Lok Sabha to give Kashmiri people their right to self-determination, but later, it proved as falsehood.

The prime minister assured the Kashmiri people that they would always stand in solidarity with them in their struggle for freedom from the illegal Indian occupation.

He said that Kashmiris were right in raising the questions as to why the issue lingered on for the last 75 years. Kashmir and Palestine issues could not be resolved while atrocities of enormous proportions were being carried out.

He said Kashmiri people would get freedom soon, but along with slogans, words and speeches, they would have to prove with practical steps.

The prime minister said Japan and Germany had been destroyed during World War, resulting in huge casualties while their major cities were turned into ruins, but after 60 years, they once again prevailed over the world and Europe due to their hard work.

They turned their destruction into success on the basis of hard work and commitment, he opined.

The prime minister also stressed that the Muslim world had been blessed with huge resources and with unity, they could resolve issues confronting them.

The prime minister said as prime minister of allied parties and a representative of 220 million Pakistani people, he fully assured Kashmiri brethren that they would continue their support for their due right to self-determination.

“But first, we have to forge unity among our ranks, besides, bringing economic and political stability,” he added.

The prime minister said they should strive to make Pakistan economically stronger. As Pakistanis, they should shun their political differences and work together to secure the legitimate rights of the Kashmiri people.

Referring to the global scenario, the prime minister said there was a rule of ‘might is right’ and expressed that it was never too late to mend and if they resolved with unity, they would secure freedom for the Kashmiri people.

He said former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had effectively raised the Kashmir issue.

During 1998, in response to the Indian nuclear tests, Nawaz Sharif conducted five tests which made Pakistan as a nuclear power.

The former prime minister also rejected $5 billion offer made by former US president Bill Clinton for not conducting the nuclear test, he added.

The minister said in 1999, former Indian premier Vajpayee visited Lahore and Minar-e-Pakistan, while in the Lahore accord, he promised to resolve Kashmir issue within one year.

The prime minister said Pakistan was a nuclear power and India could not cast an evil eye.

The prime minister said a nation could rise only with honour and not with a begging bowl and they were making efforts to save every penny and expressed the optimism that they would succeed in steering the country out of the present challenges.

Earlier, AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and other members of the assembly spoke on the occasion and highlighted the Kashmir issue, the heroic struggle of the Kashmiri people and their sacrifices.

They also expressed their gratitude to the government of Pakistan and the Pakistani nation for expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people.