I had the honour to meet with a Kashmiri delegation that came on a visit to Turkey recently, which was led by Abdul Rasheed Turabi (advisor of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq on Kashmir Affairs and member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir Central Shura). I had a special interview with him about the purpose of his visit to Turkey and other issues. His delegation included Pakistan Turkey Oneness Forum Chairman Dr. Nadeem Chaudhry, Tehreek Kashmir Turkey convener Sheikh Talha, Hurriyat Conference leader Ejaz Ahmad Shah, Ankara Dr. Kamal, Dr. Shaukat, and TRT representative Fahad.
Abdul Rasheed Turabi came to Turkey as a representative of Jamaat-e-Islami Azad Kashmir, the government of Azad Kashmir, and all the political parties of Kashmir and the Kashmiri people. The purpose of their arrival is with the victims of the earthquake in Turkey Apart from this, the latest situation in Kashmir, Indian atrocities, and ambitions, especially regarding the change in demography, had to be informed to the Turkish government. It was his ten-day visit to Turkey.
Abdul Rasheed Turabi said that the funds from the Kashmiri people have been immediately sent to the earthquake victims through the Al-Khidmat Foundation, in addition to the check of 55 crore rupees from the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir to the ambassador of Turkey in Islamabad. I have given On his meetings in Turkey, Turabi said that first of all, the Kashmiri delegation met with Ali Shahinoglu, the chairman of Turkey-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship and President Tayyip Erdo?an’s advisor. Ali Shahinoglu expressed his best feelings during the meeting with the delegation.
“The tears of Srinagar are our tears, the problem of Kashmir is our problem, Kashmir, Pakistan, and Turkey are one body. We will stand by the side of the Kashmiris until they achieve their goal in the freedom struggle,” he said. He added that President Tayyip Erdogan has highlighted the Kashmir issue at the international forum and demanded its immediate solution. The entire nation of Turkey considers it a human duty to support the people of Kashmir in this rightful struggle.
Ali Shahinoglu gratefully said that the entire Ummah and humanity came to our aid in this hour of sorrow, but the role of the people of Pakistan and the government is historic and the work of service has also been commendable. The next meeting of this delegation was with Mustafa Kamal Akaya who is the Senior Vice President of the Saadat Party at his headquarters. In the meeting, Mustafa Kamal Akaya told the delegation that Saadat Party is carrying the agenda of Professor Najamuddin Arbakan. Professor Arbakan has always considered Kashmir and Palestine as part of his body. Therefore, every worker of the Saadat Party considers it his duty to represent and support the oppressed Kashmiris.
The delegation told them that the Modi government wants to wipe out the Kashmiris, and Indian Muslims have also been made third-class citizens. Mustafa Kamal Akaya assured Abdul Rasheed Tarabi and his delegation to play their role side by side in the eternal struggle of the Kashmir Liberation Movement. Narrating about his further meetings, Abdul Rasheed Turabi told about his meeting with the Secretary General of the party, Prof. Dogan Hakan, at the headquarters of the New Rafah Party.
In this meeting, Dogan Hiken thanked the party’s president Fateh Arbakan (son of Professor Arbakan), and assured the delegation of full cooperation on the Kashmir issue. It is part of the party’s basic plan of action. This party has been formed to fulfill the ambitious agenda of Prof Arbakan. About his visits to the quake affected areas, Turabi said that the most affected city by the earthquake in Turkey is Kaherman Marash, that’s why the delegation visited there and distributed warm clothes to the earthquake victims in the center of the local NGO. During the visit, he found out that more than 18,000 deaths occurred in this city alone. Most of the buildings collapsed and the infrastructure was destroyed. He said that the devastation of the city was shocking. Local and international NGOs are actively working to restore the city. Iftar is organized. Here, Turkish people have very prayerful feelings for Pakistan, especially the role of the Al-Khidmat Foundation and Pakistan Army is being seen with great admiration. There are also praises for the cooperation of the Government of Pakistan and overseas Pakistanis, especially the anonymous Pakistani living in the United States who donated a huge sum of thirty million dollars.
About his meetings with businesspeople, Turabi said that an Iftar dinner in Istanbul hosted by Harun Majid and Suleimanoglu, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Business Forum in Istanbul, was attended by Turkey’s leading intellectuals and business executives. Briefing on the situation in Kashmir, his delegation at the international level demanded a trade boycott campaign against India to stop it from committing atrocities through diplomatic and economic pressure. The business leaders assured that they will consult on this proposal at the national and international levels. He expressed full solidarity with the freedom movement of Kashmir and assured his full cooperation.