Daily Times

Arrangements in Lahore have been finalised to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day across the country on Friday.

A meeting was held at Lahore’s Town Hall on Thursday chaired by Law Minister Raja Basharat to review the arrangements of the Kashmir Day. Bashara said that on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the solidarity day would be marked with full vigour. He stated it while presiding over a meeting at Town Hall on Thursday which was also attended among others by the members of Punjab Kashmir Committee MPAs Nazir Ahmad Chauhan, Mahendr Pal Singh, Secretary local government, Commissioner, deputy commissioner and local government offices.

The Minister said that full security will be provided to the participants of the rallies and gatherings on the day of solidarity with Kashmiri people. He told the meeting that large gatherings would be held at Faisal Chowk and Regal Chowk on Friday. Law Minister said that according to program sirens would be run at sharp 12:00 PM across Punjab after which national anthems of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir would be sung. He requested the Pakistani public, civil society members and the Government employees and the people from all walks of life to participate the events with full spirit.

Raja Basharat said that the Government employees are also Pakistani citizens who feel the same emotions and sentiments with their aggrieved Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Law Minister said that Chief Minister Punjab has also given representation to the opposition in the Punjab Kashmir committee and I had requested to nominate two members of Punjab assembly for that. He said that government had also invited the opposition to participate the events equally as it would be a non-political event and the opposition should take it as a national cause rather than apolitical stunt.

Raja Basharat said that tomorrow strong message should be sent to India and the world that Pakistan as a nation is standing firmly behind Kashmiri people in their struggle for freedom. He appealed to the nation to pray for Kashmiri people during the Friday congregations. Afterwards the Minister visited Faisal Chowk to review the arrangements made by the district administration to celebrate the solidarity with Kashmiri people. The officers of district administration and media persons were also present on the occasion.

The Punjab government has also issued a notification to mark the day for the solidarity of Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has constituted a special committee in the wake of prevailing Kashmir situation and a notification has been issued in this regard. Basharat will head the Punjab Kashmir Committee while Chief Secretary and Secretary Information and Culture are nominated as its official members. Secretary Information will also act as Secretary to the Kashmir Committee. Other members of the committee include PTI MPAs namely Nazir Ahmed Chauhan, Uzma Kardar, Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi and Mahindar Pal Singh while PML-Q MPA Sajid Bhatti is also nominated as the member.

Raja Basharat has approached the opposition for the nomination of their two MPAs. He has called the first meeting of the committee today (Friday). This committee would monitor the human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir by Indian occupied Army along with providing necessary assistance to the federal government for projecting the Kashmir issue at different platforms.