ISLAMABAD, April 4 (APP):President Dr Arif Alvi Thursday said right to self-determination of the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir could not be suppressed by use of force and urged the United Nations to play its role in resolving the long-standing dispute for peace in South Asia.
Speaking at the International Congress on Islamic History, Culture and Heritage of Kashmir, he said independence movements could not be suppressed by use of brute force.
He said the issues of Kashmir and Palestine seek attention of the world community and the United Nations must play its role to resolve these for the world peace.
The president said the history of Kashmir spanned over five thousand years and stressed the need for constant preservation of cultural heritage.
He said Islamic art and calligraphy was beauty of South Asian region and art could not be separated from the people.
He said the propagators of Islamophobia should know that humanity was our legacy and Pakistan was hosting more than 3.5 million Afghan refugees with open heart.
He said the world teaches us the lesson of democracy and humanity but it was Pakistan and Turkey, which hosted the refugees with open heart but other countries closed their borders for the Syrian refugees.
Pakistan, he said, had hosted the Afghan refugees for several decades and fought a successful war against militancy.
Dr Alvi expressed concern over whatever was going on in India in the name of militancy and added the claims of secular India was taking its last breath.
Pakistan, he said, had obtained moral victory in recent Pak-India conflict. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had always been advocating peace in the region but when India demonstrated aggression it was fully responded. He said Pakistan had gained moral victory after releasing the Indian pilot.
Message of Secretary General of the OIC about the Congress was also read on the occasion. Prof Dr Khalid Eran presented an old edition of the Holy Quran to the president.
