Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its demand for early resolution of the lingering dispute of Kashmir in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the people of Kashmir for a lasting peace in the region.

All federating units, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan will observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day today (Friday).

Foreign Office spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said the nation would observe February 5 as Kashmir Solidarity Day to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri people and call for early resolution of the dispute.

Speaking here at the weekly briefing, the spokesman said, “India continues to violate the human rights and brutalise Kashmiris in the occupied Kashmir.”

“Pakistan has always condemned these atrocities. The Kashmir Solidarity Day, to be observed on Friday (today), reminds us of the Indian atrocities,” he added. Pakistan has always raised its voice against gross human rights violations by the Indian forces in the Occupied Kashmir.

When asked about the new date for the foreign secretary level talks between Pakistan and India, Khalilullah said “no date has been fixed for the foreign secretary-level talks” so far. He however said that both sides were in touch with each other in this regard.

To a question regarding Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s memoirs wherein he described the demolition of the Babri Mosque by Hindus extremists as a matter of national shame, the spokesman said, “We respect the views of the president of India in this regard. We believe that all places of worship should be respected and protected.”

The spokesman confirmed that Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the United States would meet as per schedule on Saturday to discuss the Afghan peace. Regarding the attack on the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, the spokesman said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were in touch at various levels on the use of Afghan territory by militants for attacks inside Pakistan.

When asked about the dossiers detailing India’s involvement in fomenting terrorism in Pakistan, the spokesman said they had already been shared with the United Nations and the US leadership. The Foreign Office spokesman said that Pakistan was taking action against terrorists of all shades without any discrimination under the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He said that Pakistan’s successes in the operation against the terrorists had been recognised by the world.