South Asia peace under threat: Prime Minister | Business Recorder

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Wednesday that peace of whole South Asia is under threat due to Indian aggression in the occupied Kashmir and the whole world has also been feeling its heat. Addressing a joint session of the parliament, he said that neither durable peace in the region nor friendly relations between Pakistan and India are possible until the issue of Kashmir is resolved through negotiations and dialogue.

“India cannot suppress the freedom movement in Kashmir through aggression and killing innocent Kashmiris,” he said, urging the international community including the United Nations to take stock of the situation in Indian-held Kashmir. “We are against the war and want to resolve all contentious issues with India through meaningful dialogue for durable peace in the region,” he said.

The Prime Minister also urged the UN Security Council to implement its resolutions that had promised to hold a plebiscite in the occupied Kashmir and give them a right to self determination. Pakistan is a responsible state, but its desire of peace should not be considered as its weakness, he said, adding that Pakistan’s armed forces are capable to thwart any foreign aggression effectively.

He said the whole world is aware of the fact that despite presence of 700,000 troops, India could not suppress the voice of Kashmiris. He called upon India to come forward and work together for elimination of poverty and unemployment from the region and work for the welfare of the people of the region.

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism in the world. He said we have sacrificed a lot in the fight against terrorism and are committed for its complete elimination. The Prime Minister said the Kashmir liberation struggle has taken a new turn after the martyrdom of Burhan Muzaffar Wani. “Wani’s martyrdom is a symbol of Kashmiri Intifada in the occupied territory and India cannot make the innocent Kashmiris its hostage by committing human rights violations,” he said.

Pakistan’s relations with Kashmiris are political, religious, geographical and cultural history, he said, adding that Pakistan has a commitment to extend all possible political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris. “Pakistan has offered India for a composite dialogue time and time again but our efforts were always sabotaged,” he said, adding that resolution of Kashmir issue is imperative for durable peace in the region.

The Prime Minister said he had demanded for investigation into human rights violations by the world bodies during his address to the last session of the United Nations General Assembly. He said that he has also demanded release of Kashmiris held in the Indian jails and lifting of ban on the international movement of the Kashmir leaders. He said we also demanded for the withdrawal of Indian troops from the occupied Kashmir.

He said the Foreign Office briefed all the ambassadors and high commissioners of important countries about the issue. The Prime Minister said the government is fully aware of the gravity of the situation and is defending the country on diplomatic fronts. He said that India is engaged in levelling baseless allegations against Pakistan in order to divert the attention of the world from Kashmir issue. He said the Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control by violating the cease-fire agreement on September 28 in which Pakistan’s two soldiers were martyred.

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