Unanimous resolution of Parliament reflected aspirations of Kashmiris: Shah Mehmood

ISLAMABAD, Aug 06 (APP):Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said the unanimous resolution passed by Parliament on actions of India on Kashmir on August 5, 2019, reflected the aspirations of Kashmiris struggling for their freedom from India.
Speaking in the joint session of the Parliament, he said Kashmir issue was 72 years old and it existed even in the governments of Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Peoples Party.

“As the nation will remain determined, the Line of Control across Jammu and Kashmir will be erased and Kashmiris will become one and will get their freedom.”
He said Kashmir issued was discussed in the United Nations Security Council on three occasions with the support of China.

Despite the efforts of India to stop the debate, the issue was raised in the UNSC and the matter was internationalized, he noted.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan took up the issue of Kashmir with clarity during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the issue was also taken up by European Union and India was put in the dock for human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The international media gave widespread coverage to the Kashmir issue, he said adding 85 members of the United States Congress expressed concern on the situation in Kashmir.
All the parties in House of Commons in Britain brought Kashmir issue under discussion, he told. He stressed that he was ready to brief the members of opposition on the Kashmir issue at any place of their convenience.

He said Kashmir issue was put on the back-burner during the tenure of previous governments.

He thanked the opposition benches for supporting the resolution on Kashmir and the bill for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

He said Pakistan was successfully able to defeat the narrative of India on Kashmir issue, adding India had to rescind its constitutional measures to strip Kashmir of its special status, otherwise Pakistan would not talk to India.

India was running away from multilateralism, he said adding Modi could not come to Pakistan without visa and he would not be presented with gifts in Pakistan as was done by the previous government.

Qureshi said there were no two opinions among people in Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir and the whole nation was united, adding Parliament and the Senate passed unanimous resolutions in support of Kashmiris struggling for their right to self determination and for freedom from India.

All the Kashmiris were not looking towards New Delhi now but were looking towards Pakistan, he added.

He said Pakistan had condemned the use of brutal force by India against the Kashmiris.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he talked to more than 40 foreign ministers and discussed with them ceasefire violations of Line of Control (LoC).
The government had a plan to build bunkers along LoC to protect lives of Kashmiris, he disclosed.

The minister said Pakistan was in the grey list in 2018 when the government of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) was formed.

He pointed out that the international community had appreciated the legislation done by Pakistan to meet the obligations towards Financial Action Task Force.
The minister said the opposition supported the legislation not for the sake of government but for the sake of the country.

Some other parties which did not support the legislation should have backed it in the interest of Pakistan, he added.

He said the bill on mutual legal assistance was passed after holding consultations with the opposition parties in the Parliament.

He said the world had acknowledged Prime Minister Imran Khan’s foreign policy on Afghanistan.