Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan does not see the Kashmir dispute as a geographical or border issue, but as an unfinished agenda of the 1947 Partition Plan, under which the formula for division of subcontinent was settled.
Responding to a letter from senior Hurriyet leader, and Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Syeda Aasiya Andrabi, the Pakistani premier reiterated Pakistan’s stance that Islamabad would continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their struggle for right to self-determination. The letter was released to the media by Dukhtaran-e-Millat in Srinagar, Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.
“The essence of the principles of partition is that the Muslim majority state of Kashmir should be given the right to self determination. This right has been recognised by the entire world through the forum of United Nations. India itself has promised the world community that Kashmir would be given the right to choose its political future through the exercise of self determination. Backtracking from this promise would be betrayal of the promise done to the entire world community,” he said.
Rejecting that the UN resolutions were outdated, Nawaz Sharif wrote that “lapse of a long time does not mean that these resolutions have become outdated” and that “People in Kashmir, under a leadership like yours, are carrying on an exemplary struggle and have laid down historic sacrifices. These sacrifices have only increased the importance of the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. No Matter what India says, the resolution of Kashmir can be only achieved through a free and fair right to self determination,” he wrote.
Commenting on the role of his country regarding Kashmir dispute, he said: ”We know that your struggle is for a right that has been recognised by the entire world and which is appreciated by every nation that believes in human, moral and democratic rights.” He reiterated the support of Pakistan towards the struggle for freedom of the Kashmir people.
He thanked Aasiya Andrabi for writing him a letter and facilitating him for raising Kashmir issue at UN and other international forums.
