ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office on Thursday called it unjustified to designate individuals or groups supporting the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination as terrorists.
Islamabad criticised the United States for blacklisting the Kashmiri freedom group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen as a terrorist organisation, calling the move “unjustified”.
The State Department designation bans US citizens and residents from dealing with the group and any assets found to belong to it in areas under US jurisdiction will be frozen.
“We are disappointed with the US decision in view of the fact that Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute with UN Security Council resolutions pending implementation for the last 70 years,” Nafees Zakariya, Pakistan s foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters in weekly press briefing. He said the move was “completely unjustified”.
After Washington announced the decision on Wednesday, several hundred activists gathered in Muzaffarabad, capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and chanted anti-US slogans.
Washington had already designated the group s leader, Syed Salahuddin, a “global terrorist”.
Nafees Zakaria remarked that Indian aggression in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) had increased over time. He said that Indian forces had martyred six Kashmiris in the last five days. Moreover, Indian forces have also imprisoned the Hurriyat leadership and denied them basic amenities.
Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self-determination had been rightfully continuing for the past 70 years. He further said that the primary issue in Pakistan-India relations was that of Kashmir “which has to be resolved through dialogue”. The blacklisting of Hizbul Mujahideen further increases US pressure on Pakistan to do more about tightening the screws on terrorist groups that allegedly use its territory for launching cross-border attacks in Afghanistan and India-held Kashmir.
The spokesperson also strongly condemned the Quetta blast in which FC personnel embraced Shahadat. “They rendered the ultimate sacrifices for the protection of the country and its people,” he stated.
Zakariya said that innocent civilians in IoK were subjected to worst atrocities in living memory at the hands of India occupation forces when they raised slogans in favour of Pakistan s 70th Anniversary.
“Killing of innocent Kashmiris, illegal detention and harassment of Kashmiri leadership, destruction of Kashmiris’ properties and terrorizing of Kashmiri women continues with impunity. And the civilized world only watches without a word of condemnation. History will record this sheer apathy for generations to come,” he said.
Zakaria said Hindu terrorist groups engaged in violence against Indian minorities. “They are also involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan. India also uses the Afghan soil to act against Pakistan,” he said. “The Indian allegation that the 400-feet tall flag hoisted by Pakistan at Wagah Border on the eve of Pakistan’s 70th independence anniversary could be used for spying is “ridiculous”, the FO spokesman said.
Talking about the meeting held between Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul earlier this week, Zakaria said the Afghan government had invited Janjua to visit after she assumed office. “During the meeting, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to jointly deal with the challenge of terrorism. During the visit, diplomats also exchanged thoughts on trade between two neighboring countries and different collaborations between them,” he said
Published in Daily Times, August 18th 2017.