Daily Times

Opposition senators on Tuesday demanded to raise Kashmir issue in an effective manner on all international forums and remove the perception that Pakistan was supporting terrorism rather Pakistan remained its victim.

The House started a discussion on a motion moved by Opposition Leader Raja Zafar-ul-Haq and others regarding the curfew and lockdown in Srinagar which continues unabated and enters into 100th day and future strategy of the government. They regretted that the international community remained silence over the brutalities carried out by the Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir.

Initiating the discussion, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said people of occupied Kashmir were living in curfew since last one hundred days. He said Indian forces have killed innocent people and blinded children of occupied valley. Opposition Leader said it was the failure of international community and United Nations that Kashmir dispute was still unresolved. He said government did not highlight the issue of Kashmir adequately. He said Pakistanis were united and committed over the issue of Kashmir dispute.

He criticized the Indian government move to include Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir as integral part of India on its map. The United Nation was created to resolve the issue of those countries who were under the colonial rule. However, the UN totally failed even to take notice of human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir. He also informed the House that both the Shimla agreement and Lahore declaration could not remove the involvement of UN over Kashmir dispute. There were about two dozen UN Resolutions on Kashmir and whatever the Indian government was doing now a day was totally against the international laws. PPP leader Faroq H Naek speaking on the occasion suggested that the Kashmir should be open for the entire world and also demanded that the UN should approve a special envoy for Kashmir. He also suggested that only Kashmiri should be allowed to purchase properties in Held Kashmir. He also suggested the government to work aggressively against the perception that Pakistan was supporting terrorism rather it remained victim of it.

Another PPP leader Sherry Rehman regretted that the world community totally silence over Kashmir dispute. She said due to weak policies on part of government of Pakistan, the Kashmir dispute still could not internationalize like Hong Kong. She also suggested that Joint Session should be called for taking affective measures to internationalize the Kashmir dispute. However she regretted that despite of having important issue on the agenda, but the concerned Kashmir Affair Minister was absent from the House. Shery Rehman said where the 50-member cabinet was. She said 50 members of congress wrote a letter to President Trump over Kashmir issue but our ministers were not bothering to attend the meeting of senate. Senator Mushahidullah said no need to ask anything from ministers as they were busy in taking tomatoes from Finance Advisor. The entire opposition senators rose on their seats and demanded presence of Kashmir affair minister and even they said to adjourn the house as there was no need to make discussion. The chairperson Senator Sitara Ayaz later adjourned the House for 3:30 pm today (Wednesday).