ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically stated that Pakistan will go to any extent in support of the people of occupied Kashmir.
In his broadcast address to the nation this afternoon, he said the major world powers have a responsibility to help the oppressed Kashmiris, but even if they do not do, we will go with the Kashmiris till our last breath.
The Prime Minister said both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers, and if the situation heads toward war, the entire world will get affected.
He said the United Nations is the most responsible forum on the Kashmir dispute because its resolutions pledging plebiscite have not been implemented.
He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed an historic blunder of abolishing the special status of occupied Kashmir, which will prove as an opportunity for the Kashmiris to get freedom.
He said Modi violated not only the UN Security Council resolutions but also the country’s own constitution and the promises of their founding fathers to the people of occupied Kashmir. He said the eyes of more than a billion Muslims are set on the United Nations to take steps in resolution of Kashmir dispute.
Unveiling the strategy on Kashmir issue, Imran Khan said we have to tell the world what is happening in occupied Kashmir and also assure Kashmiris that we are with them.
He announced that we will organize an event at national level every week to demonstrate solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. He appealed the people to stand from 1200 hours to 1230 hours on the next Friday to send across a message that we are standing with Kashmiris.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has successfully internationalized the Kashmir issue, and the very holding of the UN Security Council meeting on the issue proves that the issue had become international.
Imran Khan said we have talked to important heads of state, their emissaries, international media and the international organizations to apprise the world of the gravity of the situation in Occupied Kashmir. He said it was for the first time that UN Security Council session was
called on Kashmir after 1965.
The Prime Minister said being the ambassador of Kashmiris he will raise the issue at every international forum. He said he will use his speech at the UN next month to inform the world about the true face of India. Imran Khan said he will also use his stay in New York to personally meet the world leaders and brief them about the situation.
Imran Khan said India wanted to launch a false flag operation in Azad Kashmir on the pretext of stopping terrorists. However, the Indian plans were thwarted when we informed the world about their designs. The Prime Minister thanked the nation and the media for raising and highlighting the Kashmir issue in a stronger way to internationalize it. He said our movement will continue till the liberation of Kashmir.
Imran Khan said now western media is also highlighting the issue of Kashmir and criticizing the policies of Indian government in the occupied territory.
The Prime Minister said when our government came into power, our first priority was to establish peace in the region to increase employment, business and trade opportunities and tackle other issues being faced by the nation.
He said India is also facing similar problems including climate change and it was in the interest of both our countries to pursue peace. He said we extended a hand of friendship to all regional countries, including India. We approached to Afghanistan for a political settlement of the crisis there, instead of military.
He said he offered India that if it takes one step, we will take two steps so that we resolve all issues including Kashmir through dialogue. However, our sincere efforts for holding talks were rejected by India.
As it was election time in India, we thought it was perhaps due to election compulsions. Then came Pulwama incident which was perpetrated by a Kashmiri youth out of frustration of Indian cruelties. However, India pointed finger towards Pakistan without properly investigating the incident.
Imran Khan said India tried its best to bankrupt Pakistan by making full efforts to bring it into the blacklist of Financial Action Task Force.
He said the Indian government’s act of abolishing the status of occupied Kashmir has negated the secular identity of India. The message was clear that India is for Hindus and all others are second class citizens. This is the ideology of RSS that is being followed by BJP government. The ideology of RSS is based on hatred towards against all nationalities of India. The Prime Minister said the ideology is dangerous for peaceful co-existence and world peace.
Meanwhile, addressing a ceremony at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering
Sciences and Technology (GIKI) on Monday, Imran Khan said that health and education is government’s top priority and the standard of education should not be compromised.
He said that the education institutions should not compromise on the standard of education, adding that it becomes difficult to run institutions once the standard is downgraded.
Imran Khan said that Pakistan will soon overcome the challenges.
The prime minister also promised Kashmiris that he would fight the case for the occupied Valley at every forum till the freedom of Kashmir, adding that he has given himself status of the ambassador of Kashmir. He went on to say that the history remembers those who worked for the welfare of the humanity.
Earlier, PM Imran Khan inaugurated the new academic block at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, completed with a cost of Rs 1.09 billion.
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minsiter Mahmood Khan, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood and provincial minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, accompanied the prime minister. Covering an area of 162,000 square feet, the project has been completed in two years.
The four-story academic block has 12 classrooms, 20 laboratories, 42 faculty offices, three conference rooms and can accommodate around 1,000 students.
Meanwhile, chairing a high-level meeting regarding implementation of National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 and reservations of the stakeholders in Islamabad on Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said enforcement of National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 will help make roads safe.
The prime minister stressed on the need to keep in view the reservations of the concerned stakeholders, roads infrastructure, capacity of the means of communication, the country’s economy and its impact on the common man.
He said given the current economic condition and insufficient means of communication, “we should keep in view that the implementation of a law does not add burden to the ordinary people, particularly the trade and industry.”
The premier said considering all these factors, it is necessary to present all facts before the higher judiciary and request for phase-wise implementation of the law.
He said besides going to the court, special attention should also be given to enhance means of communication, particularly the number of trucks and capacity of railways. – NNI