ISLAMABAD, April 4 (APP):President of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan Thursday said Islam is a religion of peace and humanity and it has nothing to do with any kind of violence and terrorism.
Addressing two-day International Congress on Islamic, Culture and Heritage of Kashmir, he thanked the National History and Literary Heritage Division for organizing the conference adding this conference will help to shine a light on the true face and message of Islam, expose stereotypes, Islamophobia and the disinformation being promoted and help enlightened understanding of our history, culture and heritage.
The president apprised the audience of the efforts being made by the AJK government to help preserve the local architecture, culture and heritage.
The AJK Archaeology Department, he said, has already organised many conferences and symposiums on the archaeological and historical heritage of Azad Kashmir and the University of AJK Muzaffarabad is also planning to establish a Shah Hamdan Chair.
He said Azad Kashmir, boasts very unique archaeological and historical sites including ancient sites like Sharda University, Bagsar Fort, Mangla Fort, Mughal Mosque, Ramkot, Red Fort of Muzaffarabad and also famous Sufi shrines like Pir Chinasi, Khari Sharif, Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed, Haji Pir and Sain Saheli Sarkar.
President AJK welcomed the message of Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen Secretary General of the OIC – read out by Ambassador Ahmad Sareer, Advisor to the OIC Secretary General – in which he recognized the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris and their right to self-determination.
The president said the people of Kashmir to this day are suffering unimaginable torture and are being hounded mercilessly by the Indian occupation forces.
He called for concerted efforts to initiate a Commission of Inquiry as proposed by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and also called for a‘Boycott, Divestment and Sanction’ movement against India for its blatant violations of human rights in IoK as recommended by the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.
President Masood in his ending remarks reiterated that Kashmir and Pakistan are inseparable and Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic world are also inseparable.
He invited IRCICA and the National History and Literary Heritage Division to organize a similar event in Muzaffarabad in the near future.
