Pakistan leadership vows to stand by Kashmiri people

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed that his country would raise its voice for the people of Kashmir at every international forum to highlight the violation of values that western world upholds.

Imran was addressing a rare joint session of the parliament after removal of Indian-administered Kashmir’s special status by New Delhi. Urging upon the international community to play its role in resolution of the Kashmir issue, he cautioned that the worsening situation would have an impact not just on the region, but the whole word. He said his government would take the responsibility to apprise world leaders about the situation in Kashmir.

The Pakistan premier warned of a conventional war between Pakistan and India if the situation in Kashmir worsened. He regretted that Pakistan’s overtures for dialogues were not being reciprocated by India.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, assured that the opposition will stand with the government on this issue as the “nation needed to show unity, now more than ever”.

The joint session of the parliament was summoned by President Arif Alvi to decide Pakistan’s future course of action in light of the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution, stripping Indian-administered Kashmir of its seven-decade special status.

Army ‘stands by Kashmiris’

Meanwhile, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistan Army chief, after holding a meeting with top commanders on Tuesday, said: “Pakistan Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end. We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfil our obligations in this regard.”

The military leadership “fully supported the government’s rejection of Indian actions regarding Kashmir” and is “prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfil our obligations [to the Kashmiri people]”, General Bajwa said, according to the military spokesperson. The statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also said “Pakistan never recognised the sham Indian efforts to legalise its occupation of Jammu & Kashmir through article 370 or 35-A, decades ago”.

Qureshi addresses OIC special meeting on Kashmir

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi addressed a special meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the situation in Kashmir in Jeddah on Tuesday. Urging the international community to take notice, he said that India’s actions are likely to “further worsen the law-and-order situation in South Asia region”.

Pakistan demands UN fact-finding mission to assess IOK situation

In a letter written to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on August 1, Qureshi urged to establish a UN Fact-Finding Mission to visit Indian-administered Kashmir to assess the on-the--ground situation and appoint a UN Special Representative on J&K as the developing situation “entail grave dangers to regional peace and security”. Pakistan has termed the Indian move “a clear breach of the UN Security Council Resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute”.

The letter was written days before the Indian government revoked Article 370.

US diplomat arrives in Islamabad

Meanwhile, a United States delegation, headed by Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Alice Wells, arrived in Islamabad earlier on Tuesday to hold talks with the country’s civil and military leadership.

Pakistan is expected to raise the issue of removal of Kashmir’s special status as well as Indian aggression along the Line of Control (LoC) during discussions with US official.

Expressing concern over the situation in the valley, the US Department of State spokeswoman said: “We are concerned about reports of detentions and urge respect for individual rights and discussion with those in affected communities.” Washington urged the need for maintaining peace and stability along the Line of Control.