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Support to Kashmiris reaffirmed

Expressing confidence that Kashmir will soon be free and that any decision in this regard will not be made without their consultation.

Islamabad: Vowing to continue political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people's struggle for right to self-determination, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that only a fair resolution of the dispute would ensure a lasting peace in the region.

Supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami carry placards as they gather to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day in Lahore on Thursday. - AFP
"Our hearts beat with the hearts of our Kashmiri brothers. As a nation we express our sympathies with those who have lost their lives in the dispute," the premier said, at the joint session of Kashmir council in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on the occasion of Kashmir Day observed annually in Pakistan. Religious and political parties organised rallies across the country.
Expressing confidence that Kashmir will soon be free and that any decision in this regard will not be made without their consultation.
"There will be no compromise in the matter. This is an issue for the whole nation and with our determination and resolve, we will make progress," Sharif said.
"It has been more than 60 years and despite atrocities inflicted upon them, Kashmiris have not given up their struggle and the day is not far off when Kashmir would be free," he said.
The premier said that Pakistan would not accept any resolution of the dispute contrary to the aspirations of Kashmiris.
He said it was widely known that the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir were undergoing worst form of human rights violations at the hands of more than 700,000 Indian security forces.
"I salute to the Kashmiris for not letting these atrocities deter them from aspiring for their legitimate right to self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter," he added. Sharif said only a just resolution of the Kashmir issue could bring lasting peace in South Asia. "I am certain that no sham elections conducted under the occupation of 700,000 Indian security forces can replace a free and impartial plebiscite," he said.
Leading a rally in Peshawar, chief of the right wing Jamaat-e-Islami, Sirajul Haq, warned the government against establishing normal political and trade relations with India till the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
On Wednesday evening both Houses of Parliament adopted resolutions expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their right to freedom and self-determination.
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