Imran Khan To Become Voice Of Kashmiris In Address To UNGA On Sept 27: Qureshi

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said Prime Minister Imran Khan would be the voice of Pakistan, Kashmiris and the Parliament on the issue of Kashmir during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Sep, 2019 ) :Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi Friday said Prime Minister Imran Khan would be the voice of Pakistan, Kashmiris and the Parliament on the issue of Kashmir during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 27.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, he said Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) government had effectively taken up the Kashmir issue across the world.

As many as 58 countries during the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council endorsed the Pakistan stance on Kashmir issue, he told the House.

Clarifying his remarks on the matter of his interview mentioning Jammu and Kashmir, he said his letters written to different international bodies and his statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council, had made his stance clear on the Kashmir issue.

He said India had to face embarrassment at different international forums including United Nations Security Council during discussion Kashmir issue.

The European Union and the joint statement of 58 countries at the UN Council specifically mentioned Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir, hr added.

Four Senators of the United States had written a letter to the US President Donald Trump, asking him to intervene on Kashmir issue in view of the situation there, he said, adding 50 members of House of Commons of United Kingdom had also written letters to UN Secretary General.

On Setepmber 17, for the first time the issue of Kashmir would be raised in the European Union Parliament, he said.

The issue of Kashmir which was on the backburner for decades, had become international now and the whole nation was united on it, he added.

He said India was on the defensive but was looking for opportunity to exploit any kind of situation in Pakistan.

The Foreign Minister said India was continuing with its communication blackout and curfew remained imposed in Occupied Kashmir.

He said Sindh was an important unit of the Federation of Pakistan.

Everybody recognized the role of Sindh for the stability of the country, he added.

He assured that the Federal government held the Constitution in high esteem and would continue to do so it. He assured it would not cause an issue for the Sindh government.

Minister for Law Farogh Naseem had already clarified that his statement on Karachi was distorted, he noted. All concern should end after the clarification of the minister, Qureshi said and acknowledged that Pakistan People's Party had always stressed on the importance of the Federation.

He said it was not appropriate on the part of Bilawal Bhutto to talk of Sindhu Desh or Pakhtunistan while succumbing to political pressures.

Responding to member of opposition Khawaja Asif who raised the issue of production orders for detained assembly members, he said the issue was directly related to Speaker National Assembly and should have been discussed in his chamber.

The minister said the opposition protested throughout the speech of the President during the joint session of the Parliament on Thursday and made production orders a priority issue instead of giving preference to Kashmir.

Earlier on a point of order, MNA Asad Umer took issue with the statement made by PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari on the floor of the House during a previous session, about people who migrated to Pakistan from areas now in India.

He said Muslims living in areas now in India made a contribution with regard to creation of Pakistan.

These Muslims helped Muslim League won elections of Central Legislative Assembly in 1946 elections, adding all 30 seats for Muslims in the legislature were won by Muslim League.

Muslim League also won majority seats in the provincial assemblies at that time, he added.

He said Muslims secured their own country and were saved from the tyranny of Hindus who were now mistreating them in India.

Asad warned that people should not be divided on the basis of religion, ethnicity and language.

Member National Assembly PPP Syed Khurshid Shah in response said Muslims wanted an independent state and the assemblies of Sindh and Bengal passed resolutions for creation of Pakistan.

Pakistan was a blessing and basis for identity for everybody and people from all provinces and ethnicities were Pakistanis first , he remarked.

He said G M Syed was a loyal and hardcore Muslim Leaguer but due to differences left the party.

During the elections before the partition, Muslim League won the majority in the Sindh assembly and later its members passed a resolution in favour of Pakistan, he added.

Khurshid Shah said Pakistan was a Federation and Karachi was the face of Pakistan as people from all over the country live there.

He criticized those who were politicizing the issue of garbage in Karachi.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan assured the House that the cabinet would discuss the issue of working journalists who were not getting salaries despite release of advertisement dues of the media owners by the government.

He said he would talk to Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on the issue of salaries of media persons.

Media owners get 85 percent of dues for their advertisements from the private sector and 15 percent from the government so their excuses were not valid, he added.

MNA Pakistan Muslim League (N) Khawaja Asif raised the matter of issuance of production orders of the opposition members and said the Supreme Court had given a verdict in favour of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi when he was in prison in 2002.

The production orders of Asif Ali Zardari, Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi should be issued, he added.

Asif said his party would be compelled to approach the Supreme Court if the issue of production orders was not settled by the Speaker.

He said the government should not legislate through ordinances. He expressed concern over the state of the economy. He asked the government to bring back the wealth which it claimed was parked in foreign countries.

MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said his party leader Asif Zardari wanted to explain his statement on Sindh on the floor of the House.

He said India had illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He said there was no law and order situation and economy of Sindh wasin better shape so there should not be talk of imposing Article 149 of theConstitution to give direct control of Karachi to the federal government.