World community should support Kashmir freedom movement in IOK: Mamnoon

ISLAMABAD: Condemning the barbaric means adopted by India to malign the indigenous freedom movement of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday urged the world nations to use their influence to help Kashmiris achieve the goal of self-determination to ensure sustainable and lasting peace in the region.

“According to latest reports, notorious militant organisations operating in the different parts of the world are being mobilised in IOK by India to sabotage the indigenous freedom movement in Kashmir. This is a very treacherous scheme which will have devastating repercussions for the region,” he said while addressing a seminar organised in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (President House).

Minister for Defense Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan, Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Fazlur Rehman, member of National Assembly (MNA) Shafqat Mehmood, Senator Rehman Malik, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, APHC Peace and Culture Committee Chairperson Mishal Malik and South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) Chairperson/President Dr Maria Sultan also addressed the seminar.

The president said, “We believe that the situation in IOK has already endangered the peace of South Asia.” He said the freedom struggle of the brave and valiant people of Kashmir was a unique movement in the world. They had been facing persecution at the hands of the Indian state since the last 70 years. Despite this severe repression, they have heroically faced the subjugation, he added.

He said it that the Kashmir freedom movement was the only ongoing movement in the world against which all forms of oppression have been used. Even pellets guns were deliberately fired into the eyes of youth which destroyed their lives forever, he said, adding, “We pay tribute to the young children who lost their eyesight, our sisters who sacrificed their husbands, and parents who sacrificed their beloved children for the sake of freedom.”

The president reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continue providing political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of IOK until the achievement of their objective.

He recalled that during the independence movement of the sub-continent, the people of Kashmir associated their future with the Muslims of the region in their struggle for Pakistan and they also participated in the struggle for Pakistan with full enthusiasm.

“Despite this reality, at the time of the partition of India, a malicious conspiracy was hatched to deprive the people of Kashmir of their birthright to freedom. The people of IOK are protesting against this till today and striving to complete the unfinished agenda of the partition. I think that global conscience should support the people of IOK by keeping aside all other considerations,” he added.

“Pakistan believes that turning a blind eye towards the atrocities being committed in IOK by the Indian armed forces and extremist Hindu organisations would complement the obnoxious practice of the oppression of the weak and impoverished nations, which in turn would be devastating for international peace,” he added.

“Therefore, I invite all the independent and prudent nations to support the legitimate struggle of the people of IOK to save the world from a great human tragedy,” he concluded.