ISLAMABAD, Nov 06 (APP): Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON, Engineer Amir Muqam, on Thursday paid rich tribute to the martyrs of Jammu, reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for self-determination.
Addressing a seminar held at Kashmir House, Islamabad, in connection with Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Jammu (Jammu Martyrs Day), organized by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference under the leadership of Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, the minister saluted the courage and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people.
He said the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, despite all hardships, had kept the Kashmir issue alive at the international level. “Many people are unaware of the atrocities committed in occupied Jammu and Kashmir where hundreds of thousands of people were martyred within a few days in 1947,” Amir Muqam remarked.
He lamented that Indian forces had forcefully entered Kashmir and tried to occupy it, adding that the oppression of innocent Kashmiris continues to this day. “The resilience and faith of Kashmiris remain unshaken even after eight decades. Their spirit for freedom is alive,” he said.
Calling upon the international community to highlight and condemn the ongoing human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the minister said: “The world must see why this oppression continues and for whom the Kashmiris have endured such pain — it is for Pakistan and their faith.”
Engr Amir Muqam lauded the courage of the Kashmiri leadership currently imprisoned in Indian jails, saying they continue to stand firm in the face of tyranny.
“We are not begging for anything; we are simply demanding our right,” he stressed.
He said the Marka-e-Haq had revived the Kashmir issue globally and the world now acknowledges the need for its resolution. “Even the US President has stated that the Kashmir issue must be resolved,” he noted, adding that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir had taken courageous decisions in support of the Kashmiri cause.
Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment, the minister said, “We will fight as many battles as are needed for Kashmir, but there can be no compromise on this issue. Kashmiris’ hearts beat with Pakistan, and it is our duty to play our role for their cause.”
Addressing the seminar, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Rana Qasim Noon reiterated that Kashmir was an integral part of Pakistan’s national identity and that the country’s completion would remain impossible without its resolution.
Recalling Pakistan’s long-standing commitment to the issue, he noted that the country has fought four wars over Kashmir and praised the Pakistan Army and political leadership for their unwavering and continuous support.
He stressed that lasting peace in South Asia would remain elusive until the Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Among the distinguished speakers were Federal Minister and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir
Rana Qasim Noon, President Muslim League-N AJK Shah Ghulam Qadir, AJK Minister Akmal Sargala and other leaders who also paid homage to the martyrs and reaffirmed solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
A large number of university students and media persons were also in present.