Information & Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that with one army soldier deployed for 10 Kashmiris, the Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) had turned into one of the most heavily militarised regions in the world.
Addressing the Kashmir Solidarity Day seminar at the President House, the minister said India militarised the occupied territory to suppress the indigenous freedom movement of Kashmiris, who just demanded their legitimate right of self-determination.
He said increased deployment and militarisation served nothing but created hate, adding that even the local Kashmiri leadership like Mehbooba Mufti and Umar Abdullah, who were not supporting the point of view of Pakistan and Kashmiris, had now admitted that the movement could not be suppressed.
The minister said that massive human rights violations had exposed the real face of India, who claimed to be so-called champions of democracy in the world.
“When you will use force and rapes against unarmed civilians as a weapon, you are no more a democracy or a civilised nation,” he said.
Information minister says filling public sector institutions with cronies on political grounds is a disastrous step
Pakistan’s civil and military leadership wanted normalisation of ties with India but it was not possible without resolving the core issue of Kashmir as per wishes of its people, he added.
“It is not possible for Pakistan to ignore atrocities being committed in IHK by the subjugating forces,” he said adding that Pakistani leadership desired to move towards the normalisation process with an open heart, adding that however, India should see Kashmir as an issue of humanity and not a matter of territory.
The minister said that a basic difference between the two countries was that India considered Kashmir a territorial issue, while Pakistan always treated it as a matter of humanity.
He said Pakistan always felt pain and agony of its Kashmiri brethren, adding, “When blood bleeds in IHK, our soul feels its pain as we are bound with them in a relation of humanity.”
Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan and India, being nuclear powers, could not afford another war. He said the Pakistan Army was the best in the world which handled irregular conflict and overcame the menace of terrorism and extremism. The minister reiterated Pakistan’s stance and invited India to come forward with a positive approach to find a peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue. He asked India to repeal Special Armed Force Act in IHK and bring normalisation to the valley. “We are looking for a Kashmir solution as per the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and we’ll stand for their rights,” he added.
Fawad said that the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been playing an active role for protection of fundamental rights of the people of Kashmir.
In a message on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day which was observed on Tuesday, he said that Pakistan would continue to expose Indian atrocities in IHK and highlight Kashmir issue at all levels. The minister said that resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with aspirations of Kashmiri masses was imperative for durable peace in South Asia. Paying glowing tributes to unprecedented sacrifices offered by Kashmiris for achievement of right to self-determination, he said that Kashmiri martyrs were shining stars of Hurriyat movement and truth. He said that despite thousands of killings, rapes and repression, Kashmiris refused to surrender. He said that all Indian atrocities could not weaken Kashmiris resolve and struggle for right to self determination. He urged United Nations and the world community to take notice of ongoing bloodshed in Kashmir.
Separately, in a Tweet, the minister said that filling public sector institutions with cronies on political grounds was a disastrous step.
He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) regime had promised to create 10 million jobs in five year term but it would create more than promised job opportunities in the country.
The minister was reacting to a tweet by a PTI leader from Balochistan who had commented that issuance of Sehat Cards and providing medical cover worth Rs 720,000 to 15 million families was a revolutionary step.
Published in Daily Times, February 6th 2019.
