Minister Iqbal Praises Kashmiris Valiant Struggle, Reiterates Pakistan's Support

WASHINGTON, Feb.7 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 07th Feb, 2018 ) :Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal Wednesday paid tributes to the valiant struggle by the Kashmiri people and said that the third generation of Kashmiris had shown their determination to get their right to self-determination.

"I is a war of oppressor and oppressed and InshaAllah, Kashmiris will prevail," he said in his keynote address at a function held at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.

"We should not be discouraged by India's state terrorism and atrocities caused by its occupied forces for the last seventy years." The Minister said that Pakistan would continue to support Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination.

He paid tributes to the sacrifice of thousands of innocent Kashmiris who had lost their lives at the hands of the Indian occupation forces. "Pakistan has always provided moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri brothers and sisters and will continue to urge the international community to force India to stop its barbaric occupation of Kashmir," he added.

Iqbal asked Pakistani Americans to contribute to the development of Pakistan and work to strengthen their motherland as a strong Pakistan will be in a better position to negotiate on the issue of self -determination of Kashmiris as agreed by both India and Pakistan and translated into two UN Security Council resolutions.

On the plight of Muslims, the world over, the Minister said that it was an era of information and technology. "Once Muslims were pioneer in the field of Chemistry, Algebra, Mathematics, Medicine and other sciences but today we lack in these fields that is one factor, Muslims are weak in comity of nations.

Muslims have to achieve its past status again." In his remarks, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry highlighted that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the most significant issue that must be resolved for achieving durable peace in South Asia.

He lauded the courage of the Kashmiri people, who had endured the blatant human rights violations perpetrated by the occupying Indian forces in the Kashmir valley in the last seven decades. The Ambassador reiterated Pakistan's commitment to the peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and according to aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ms. Iman Malik, a scholar at the United States Institute of Peace also spoke on the occasion. A special song was screened at the event that portrayed the spirit of courage, resilience and determination of the Kashmiri people in the face of adversity. Prominent members of the Pakistani American and Kashmiri diaspora attended the event. APP/zh