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Islamabad, August 26, 2019 (PPI-OT): Chairman Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has observed that 22 days have passed since the illegal annexation and the spontaneous and unhindered retaliation of this annexation continues despite the brutalities being committed by Modi’s regime and this has contributed in internationalising the Kashmir issue. He said that Pakistan expresses its gratitude to the global friends as well as intellectuals, scholars and civil society activists who have been outspoken in supporting the Kashmiri people and Pakistan’s perspective. He said that voices from across the globe have emerged condemning this Indian step and Indian writer Arundhati Roy called this act architecture of Indian fascism.
In the policy seminar arranged on the annexation of occupied Kashmir by Modi’s India and the subsequent challenges and responses, the participants agreed on taking appropriate action to relieve the Kashmiris of Indian atrocities.
The Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi while addressing the participants of the seminar said that political voices in Pakistan have been speaking with one voice despite other differences and this gives us hope as well as strength. He said that Kashmiri people are facing the worst life situation for last 22 days only for one reason; being Kashmiris. He said that India on 5th August has attempted to consolidate its occupation which was already illegal.
He said that father of the nation called Kashmir the jugular vein of Pakistan and we will go to any limits to bring the basic human right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people and to ensure that Indian atrocities come to a halt. He said that Pakistan’s intensive diplomatic efforts were focused on respecting the UN resolutions and bringing the issue to a resolution in light of those resolutions. He remarked that Modi’s government is telling half-baked truths to delegitimize the movement of Kashmiris and India’s actions are a grave destabilising threat to the already volatile situation of South Asia.
Pakistan has no desire to escalate the situation and we believe that the only solution of the situation is for India to accept resolving the issue under the UN Resolutions, he said. He also lauded the Committee’s efforts in keeping the Kashmir issue alive at multiple forums and said that the deliberations made here will be useful in mapping out the future strategy. He expressed his concern that the current regime might not respect the Indus Water Treaty and an example of this was witnessed recently when early warning of opening water gates was not given to Pakistan as the treaty requires.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari remarked that nuclear weapons are not just a flashpoint between the two countries but India has already started operationalizing what can become in future a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. She said that Indian has not just tried to review the No First Use policy and have done it numerous times earlier also and by saying this repeatedly India is just trying to make a fool out of other nations.
She observed that changing the status or demography of an occupied state comes under war crimes under the Geneva Convention and India has committed a war crime by annexing IOK and has an agenda of ethnic cleansing. She said India is slowly going up the escalation ladder and there has been a qualitative shift in the type of LoC violations.
She said that India is developing the Bramos missile and this is an area of concern for Pakistan because it is a supersonic technology with very little response time. She gave a quantitative analysis as to how India’s military deployments have been engaged being Pakistan specific. She observed that Pakistan’s warnings of unintended consequences in case India initiates war need to be taken seriously by India and the international community.
Syed Fakahr Imam, Chairman Kashmir Committee said that Modi has exposed the true face of India and the mask of democracy and secularism has been removed. He said that Kashmir is the genesis of Pakistan and the partition plan is not complete without resolution of the Kashmir issue. He also emphasized on the importance of the Indus Water Treaty and the future wars being driven by water sharing and management issues.
Dr. Ijaz, a renowned scholar and researcher gave a historical and contextual analysis of how the current policies of Modi’s India resemble those of Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. He explained why the RSS so called intellectuals are dangerously minded and how they are trying to penetrate into the minds of ordinary Indians. He emphasized on the need of choosing our friends in this crucial time and engaging the Foreign Office efficiently.
Dr. Shamim on behalf of the Kashmiri women explained the alarming life and death situation for women and children in the Occupied Kashmir and the lack of availability of medicine and basic food items. She said that we just cannot afford more delay in providing basic provisions. She proposed sending a fact finding mission in Kashmir. She said India is not just killing the humans but it is also killing the society economically.
Dr. Faiz Naqshbandi representing the All Parties Hurriyat Conference appreciated the Committee for organising this seminar and talked about the situation in Kashmir faced by the injured and ill people as well as by people made hostage in their houses in the presence of one Indian soldier on every five Kashmiris.
The policy seminar was attended among others by Senators Dr. Shehzad Waseem, Sitara Ayaz, Abdur Rehman Malik, Javed Abbasi, Azam Swati, Waleed Iqbal, Kashmir Committee Chairman MNA Syed Fakhar Imam, ambassadors, senior politicians, civil society activists, retired army generals, students and media persons.
For more information, contact:
Senate of Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9204564534
Fax: +92-51-9205703
H.No.7, Cat-II, G-8/2,
Islamabad, Pakistan
E-mail: senate@comsats.net.pk
Website: www.senate.gov.pk