ISLAMABAD July 15 (APP): Chairman Parliamentary Kashmir
Committee Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said India was using delaying tactics in dialogue on Kashmir issue and international community should take cognizance of Indian brutalities and exert pressure on it to give Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
In an interview with PTV, he said it was not Pakistan but
India which repeatedly suspended the dialogue process on one pretext or the other. “Now, when the situation has once again erupted in occupied Kashmir, it is responsibility of international community and the United Nations to get implemented the UN resolutions to give Kashmiri people their just right to self-determination.”
He called upon the world to shun double standards
and hear the voice of innocent Kashmiris who were braving Indian atrocities and barbarianism and laying down their lives for a just cause.
“India itself went to the United Nations and the resolutions on Kashmir are unanimous. But, for last six decades, it has been violating these resolutions and the international community is playing as silent spectator,” he added.
Fazlur Rehman said the Kashmir issue had always enjoyed
centrality in Pakistan’s foreign policy except the Musharraf
regime when this cause was badly damaged.
He said at a time when a major segment of the Indian society was criticizing the policies of their government on Kashmir, it was imperative for Pakistan to forcefully raise the issue on international forums.
“Whole the nation should stand united behind the Kashmiri
brethren and internal politics should not in any way send a
message abroad that there is any division on the Kashmir issue,” he added.
He said the Kashmir Committee was not an executive body but it had a mandate to present recommendations to the Parliament and had been functioning effectively in recent years to persuade the governments to highlight Kashmir issue.
Fazlur Rehman said when he became Chairman of the Committee, the country was the worst victim of terrorism and the Kashmir issue was put on back burner during Pervez Musharraf regime. But, the committee continued efforts and visited different countries to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people.
Answering a question, he said soon after the uprising in
held Kashmir, he held a meeting with leaders of Hurriyet Conference in Pakistan and members of Kashmir Jihad Council and also with the Prime Minister and summoned a meeting of the committee for July 19.
He said the committee was actively functioning and those
talking of its inactivity had been the supporters of Pervez
Musharraf in referendum who had put the Kashmir issue on back burner for war against terrorism. “So, we not only damaged the Kashmir cause but also invited problems for us by supporting the war against terrorism.”
He said the committee had once again stressed on the
government that the Kashmir issue should bear centrality in the foreign policy. “If India can shy away from discussing the Kashmir issue then why cannot we ask the international community to get the UN resolutions implemented.”
He said there was need to revise the 15 years old policy on
Kashmir and move forward aggressively also keeping in view the country’s strategic position. “Our policies must be in line with the global strategies that are based on interests. Until their interests are not linked to Pakistan, they would continue with double standards.”
Fazlur Rehman also urged national media to highlight the Kashmir issue as he complained that media can designate hours to discuss trivial issues but forget to allocate a few minutes to highlight important Kashmir issue unless people are killed or tortured in occupied Kashmir.
He said there had been a proposal to constitute a committee
of Kashmiri leaders on both sides of the Line of Control but
the Indian government did not allow Kashmiri leaders to come to Pakistan.
