–Army chief says ‘there can never be a compromise on Kashmir’
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said the Pakistan Army is fully prepared to play its part “in line with its national duty” for Kashmir cause.
“Reality of #Kashmir was neither changed by an illegal piece of paper in 1947 nor will any other do it now or in the future. Pakistan has always stood by Kashmiris against India’s hegemonic ambitions, will always do. There can never be a compromise on #Kashmir,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor said quoting the army chief in a series of tweets.
Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan “shall stand in the face of tyranny, regardless of the cost. Pakistan Army is fully alive to the sanctity of Jammu & Kashmir and will remain fully ready to perform its part in line with our national duty for Kashmir cause”, COAS on Independence & Kashmir Solidarity Day.”
We shall stand in the face of tyranny, regardless of the cost. Pakistan Army is fully alive to the sanctity of Jammu & Kashmir and will remain fully ready to perform its part in line with our national duty for Kashmir cause”, COAS on Independence & Kashmir Solidarity Day. (2of2).
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 14, 2019
Pakistan is celebrating its 72nd Independence Day as Kashmir Solidarity Day as part of the government’s decision to show solidarity with Kashmiris. In their solidarity messages, the government and opposition leaders have lent “unconditional” support to occupied Kashmir.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) legislative assembly, said that the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 and strip occupied Kashmir of its ‘special status’ was a strategic blunder.
The premier observed that “we are facing a dangerous ideology of RSS which was inspired by the Nazi party of Hitler. RSS followers considered themselves superior to other nations in India.”
“The RSS ideology hates religious minorities including Muslims and Christians and considers them as a stone in their path.
“Ethnic cleansing of Muslims is also included in their agenda,” he warned.
On Tuesday, Pakistan asked the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to summon a session on the deteriorating situation in occupied Kashmir, after India revoked its special status.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote a letter to the UNSC president, asking that the Indian act, which is unconstitutional and against the conventions of the United Nations, should be discussed in a session.
During a news conference, Qureshi said he had conveyed to his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, that New Delhi’s stance of revoking Article 370 being an internal matter had been dismissed by Islamabad.
“I said this was not right and Pakistan dismisses this stance. Occupied Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute. There are several UNSC resolutions on this and making those as the basis we have decided to once again go to the UNSC,” Qureshi said.