Daily Times

Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan Sunday said that the Kashmiri-Pakistani diaspora community had played a critical role in creating awareness about the Kashmir issue and it had acted as a bridge between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the international community.

The president expressed these views while meeting President Tahreek e Kashmir-UK, Faheem Kiani and prominent Kashmiri leader Altaf Ahmad Butt, who called on him at Jammu and Kashmir House in the federal capital, AJK presidential secretariat said in official communique issued to media here on Sunday.

During the meeting, the AJK president discussed the latest situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conditions prevailing after the imposition of an occupation lockdown and communication blockade, post-August 5.

He added that a focused approach was needed by all for the peaceful and just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions.

Masood Khan said that the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir had been imprisoned in their homeland, adding “They are being murdered, jailed on false pretences, the women are being dishonoured and young unarmed protestors are shot with pellet guns.”

“It is our duty to liberate our brothers and sisters from the shackles of the Indian occupation forces”, the president said.

He praised the efforts of the Tahreek e Kashmir President Faheem Kiani for successfully organizing major events in the UK Parliament and in Coventry.

The event at the Parliament, he said, was attended by over 50 MPs and received wide recognition, which had helped raise the profile of the Kashmir dispute and effectively highlighted the human rights violations being committed by the India occupation forces.

Later, Councilor Yaseen Dar, Member Labour Party Executive Committee and Raja Najabat Hussain, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Self-determination Movement-International also called on the president.

Raja Najabat informed the president of the various activities undertaken by their organization in helping muster support for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people who were being subjected to inhumane conditions under the patronage of the Indian government.

“The diaspora community must synergize their strengths so that we may positively advocate the Kashmir cause in a fruitful manner”, the AJK president said. Masood Khan said that the Pakistan-Kashmiri diaspora, which had grown in numbers all over the world, works closely with their representatives and over the years, their strengths had increased manifold.

He commended the Kashmiri diaspora community for winning respect of the host countries by hard work, professionalism and commitment to the values.

The AJK president also thanked the Labour Party for including Kashmir as a part of their election manifesto.

He said that in his recent visit to Malaysia, he received overwhelming support from the Malaysian leadership for the Kashmir cause.

He thanked Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Malaysian Government and its people for their steadfast and principled stance on Kashmir.