Pakistan ready for talks if India ends Kashmir siege: PM

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said Pakistan was ready to hold peace talks with India provided the latter ended military siege in Jammu and Kashmir and agreed for a plebiscite in the Valley as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

“To India, I say that we are ready, but you have to end military siege in Kashmir and give Kashmiris their right to self-determination,” the prime minister said in his special televised video message in connection with Kashmir Black Day.

Imran Khan recalled that even in his maiden address to nation after assuming office, he had talked about peace with India and extended offer that if India would take one step towards peace, Pakistan would reciprocate with two.

“Pakistan still believes that peace is the only way for the prosperous future of the people of sub-continent, however it cannot ignore India’s ongoing reign of terror in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” he said.

In reference to October 27, he said, India 73 years ago landed its occupational forces in Jammu and Kashmir and oppressed the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.

“The painful saga of Kashmiris for seven decades continued until India added another chapter to their misery on August 5, 2019, with 0.9 million occupational forces putting eight million Kashmiris under siege,” he said.

He mentioned that the “world’s largest open prison” not only confined the local Kashmiris, but also put their leadership behind bars.

“Presently, Kashmiris are living an unfortunate moment of their lives as neither they are citizens of India nor they have been given their right to self-determination as per the UNSC resolutions,” he said.

Imran Khan vowed to highlight the sufferings of Kashmiris at all fora, urging the world to work towards resolution of Kashmir dispute.

“I will continue to fight for the rights of Kashmiris and will raise voice for them locally and internationally, besides apprising heads of State and international media about the deteriorating situation of human rights in IIOJK,” he said.

“I will keep them reminding about state-terrorism in Kashmir, persistent oppression, discovery of mass graves, extra-judicial killings and curb on media,” he added.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan would also update the world about acts of terrorism being perpetrated on its soil by India.