Govt, Opp are on same page regarding Kashmir, says Alvi

President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the often-feuding federal government and the opposition are on the same page when it comes to the issue of Kashmir which lies at the bottom of every Pakistani’s heart.

Addressing the Senate special session Wednesday in connection with the Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, President Alvi said Pakistan will continue to extend its moral and political support to the people of Kashmir and vowed that the day is not far when Kashmir will be liberated.

Alvi demanded an end to the siege of Kashmir Valley and asked Indian occupation forces to withdraw back from the IOK. He also called for an end to the human rights violations in Held Valley and the culmination of women abuse and rape and atrocities against children. The President asked India to ease communication clampdown and open social media and resumption of trade in IOK. 

He questioned if everything is hunky-dory in the Occupied Valley then why India has imposed two-day curfew on the first anniversary of Article 370 and Article 35A status revoke. Alvi demanded the release of Kashmiri political leaders and resumption of political activities in the IOK.

He highlighted the history of Kashmir before and after the partition of 1947.

Alvi reiterated that Pakistan is a peaceful country and even sent back the captured pilot after two Indian aircraft were shot down in aerial dogfights last year.

He said Pakistan has issued a new political map of Pakistan including the Occupied Kashmir, and Junagarh parts of Pakistan. “Kashmiri people have formed a de-facto border but when the situation deteriorated then India rushed to UNSC on a promise that it would conduct free and fair plebiscite but we have seen the next ten years after, their leaders only made speeches but their real intentions were something else,” the President said.

In the last one year since 5 August when Article 370 was suspended Pakistan did not accept that. Curfew has been imposed followed by communication, medical supplies, international aid clampdown and fundamental rights were also violated. “People were martyred by the Indian armed forces in the valley which is the most militarized zone in the world,” Alvi said.

Alvi said real leadership of Kashmir has been behind bars or under house arrest for a year now while the economy of occupied Kashmir has also deteriorated. “According to the Indian Occupied Kashmir Chamber of Commerce official, 0.7 million youth have become unemployed and the region suffered $3 billion loss during the last year.”

As per the United Nations resolution number 47, free and fair plebiscite in Kashmir is the solution of the Kashmir issue, he said.

“India’s mentor is Israel in terms of committing atrocities, using pellet guns. But they are far ahead from their master Israel,” Alvi said.

The President thanked Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia for supporting Pakistan on Kashmir cause and also appreciated the role of international media in highlighting the Kashmir issue and also urged international media outlets to do more. 

The President in his address also thanked international human rights organizations, members of the congress, European Union Parliament and British Parliament for highlighting the Indian atrocities in the Occupied Valley.

After the President’s address, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani thanked the ambassadors of various countries there who attended the special session of the Senate including envoys of Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Romania, Bosnia, Portugal, Indonesia, Iran, Qatar, Iran, Azerbaijan, Greece, Poland, Sudan, Czeck Republic, Iraq, Germany, China, Switzerland, Egypt, Nepal, Spain, Hungary and High Commissioners of South Africa and Sri Lanka. He also paid special thanks to European Union Ambassador.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented a resolution in solidarity with Indian Occupied Kashmiri people in a special session of the session that was unanimously passed. He thanked the entire parliament and parliamentarian for bringing this unanimous resolution. The resolution strongly condemned the extra judicial killings of Kashmir youth. It also condemned the burning and looting of Kashmiri houses.