ISLAMABAD, Jan 28 (APP): Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and Safron, Engineer Amir Muqam, on Wednesday urged the European Union to take serious notice of the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), during a meeting with a delegation of the Kashmir Council European Union led by its chairman, Ali Raza Syed.
The minister said the Kashmir issue remained the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and that Islamabad was continuing diplomatic efforts at all levels to secure the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people in line with United Nations resolutions.
He said the international community should also take note of what he described as rights violations, alleged atrocities and attempts to alter the demographic structure of IIOJK.
Muqam said the people of IIOJK had endured suffering for nearly eight decades, praising their resilience and steadfastness, and added that their resolve to achieve freedom and the right to self-determination remained firm.
He said lasting peace and stability in South Asia depends on a just and durable settlement of IIOJK in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
The meeting also discussed matters of mutual interest, ways to raise the issue effectively at European forums and strengthening contacts between the two sides. Secretary for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and Safron Zafar Hasan was also present.