LAHORE, July 31 (APP): Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that no one could deprive the Kashmiris of their right to self-determination which they had under all the world laws and ethics.
The Kashmir issue, he said, should be highlighted at every forum such as universities, press clubs, business chambers, trade unions and parliament. This would not only make the world know about the Indian attrocities in Held Kashmir but also help devise a strategy to remove confusion about the issue here in Pakistan, besides expressing solidarity with the Kashmiris.
He was addressing a seminar on ‘Current Situation in Occupied Kashmir and Role of Media’ organized by Lahore Press Club (LPG) here. Renowned journalists Imtiaz Alam, Arif Nizami, Salman Ghani, Sajjad Mir, PFUJ President Rana Azeem, LPC President Shahbaz Mian and Jawad Faizi also
spoke on the occasion.
The minister said slogans regarding Islam and Kashmiris’ freedom had been raised in Pakistan by various parities and quarters since long only to gain political mileage. Time and again, he added, such slogans were used to topple governments and grab power in Islamabad.
He said the media could play an effective role to stop such
practices. Today, Pakistan’s media was being read and viewed across the world with the advent of modern technologies. Therefore, the principled stand on the Kashmir issue, as recognized by international laws, politics and ethics, must be highlighted to the international community by the Pakistani media, he added.
He opined that the South Asia region could not afford war and agitation any more. “We all have to bury the past as the Europe had done, and move forward to make joint efforts for bringing about economic development, elimination of poverty, peace and prosperity through mutual cooperation.”
The Kashmir issue, he stressed, must be resolved in an amicable manner and Kashmiris must be given their due right to decide about their fate. The people of Kashmir had the prerogative to adopt any approach or strategy to achieve the goal of freedom and no one could deprive them of their just right, he added.
Pervaiz Rashid mentioned that the operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorism was successfully under way in the country.
Pakistan, which itseslf was a victim of the menace and had been rendering supreme sacrifices in the fight against it, had always condemned terrorism in all its kinds and manifestations, he added.
He said massive economic development and people’s welfare could make Pakistan an attractive country for the world. For the purpose, he opined, the democratic norms and values would have to continue in the country and the Pakistani media would have to highlight its achievements and development.
The region with over one billion population, he said, would have to be purged of terrorism and wars. This was only way to give the new generation a better Pakistan, he added.
