India must stop campaign to suppress political activists, intimidate Kashmiris: FO

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday reiterated its call for India to stop its ongoing campaign to suppress political activists and intimidate the Kashmiri public in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. “The headquarters of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar also remains sealed. India must stop its ongoing campaign to suppress political activists and intimidate the Kashmiri public. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should be able to freely exercise their right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said at her weekly press briefing here.

Highlighting the unabated Indian authorities’ campaign to crush dissent in IIOJK and the confiscation of properties, she told the media that earlier this week, the properties including lands and a shop of two more Kashmiri youth were sealed in Shopian District. The Indian authorities have so far seized hundreds of properties across the occupied territory to punish Kashmiri activists, she added. The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continue extending political, diplomatic, and moral support to Kashmiris for the just and peaceful settlement of the dispute as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

She told the media that during his visit from May 29-30, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Acting President Yousuf Raza Gilani, besides holding in-depth talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral strategic relations and broaden the scope of cooperation in all areas of mutual interests and agreed to enhance parliamentary exchanges, strengthen cultural cooperation, and promote people-to-people exchanges.

The spokesperson mentioned a symposium held by the foreign ministry in connection with Vesak Day that brought together foreign delegates, including at the ministerial level, prominent Buddhist monks, and scholars on Buddhism and interfaith understanding. Besides showcasing Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage, the event explored the dimensions of Gandharan Heritage that emerged over 3,000 years ago in Northwest Pakistan, the importance of building bridges and understanding between different communities. Spokesperson Baloch highlighted the fourth round of Pakistan-Greece Bilateral Political Consultations held on May 29 in Athens, and the sixth round of Pakistan-Hungary Bilateral Political Consultations on May 27 in Budapest. During the meetings, the respective sides agreed to further advancing high-level dialogue and cooperation, and work together on maintaining a positive trajectory in bilateral ties.

She told the media that on May 29, Pakistan and St. Lucia formally established diplomatic ties at a ceremony in New York. The joint communique was signed by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Munir Akram, and his counterpart from St. Lucia. “Over the last three years, Pakistan has established diplomatic relations with Palau, Kiribati, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts & Nevis, and the Commonwealth of Dominica. This decision reflects Pakistan’s firm commitment to enhance its diplomatic outreach and expand cooperation with countries around the globe,” the spokesperson remarked. Spokesperson Baloch announced that at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to China from June 4-8.

In Beijing, he will meet President Xi and hold delegation-level talks with Premier Li, besides meeting with Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and heads of key government departments. The prime minister will also visit the cities of Xi’an and Shenzhen. An important aspect of Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit will be meetings with corporate executives of leading Chinese companies dealing in oil and gas, energy, ICT, and emerging technologies. In Shenzhen, he will address the Pakistan-China Business Forum with leading businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and investors from both countries. He will also visit economic and agricultural zones in China.