MIRPUR (AJK) - Azad Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan said that the Pakistani and Kashmiri expats can play a pivotal role in highlighting the Kashmir issue at international forums like the parliaments of different countries.
The president made these remarks while interacting with a delegation of PML-N representatives who called on him in London on Wednesday.
The president said that the Pak-Kashmiri community in the United Kingdom has grown in numbers and successfully integrated into the social and political fabric of their countries of adoption. He further commended the Pakistanis and Kashmiris for winning the respect of the host countries by hard work, professionalism and commitment.
He said it was highly encouraging to see that almost 12 MPs of Pakistani and Kashmiri origin are now part of the British Parliament. He said that the MPs can effectively help raise the profile of the Kashmir issue through debates in the Parliament.
He said that the international community due to its political, strategic and economic interests with India has become a silent spectator to the atrocities taking place in Indian Occupied Kashmir. India, he said, with its 700,000-armed occupation forces have unleashed a reign of unimaginable terror in IOK.
He urged the participants to mobilise the Kashmiri and Pakistani communities in the UK to raise their voice for the innocent and oppressed Kashmiris. He said that the issue of Kashmir needs immediate attention of the global community.
"The United Nations and other international organisations must take cognizance of India's misadventures in IOK," he said. He informed the delegation that there was a need to forge unity among our ranks and actively communicate with international human right organizations and the United Nations to sensitize them of the atrocities being perpetuated against the Kashmiri population in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The president encouraged the involvement of the young generation, and as global citizens, they must utilise social media to share stories of the unarmed innocent Kashmiris and the Indian barbarity taking place in IOK. He said that the time had come to re-strategise and inject new vigour, conviction, and commitment for the early resolution of the conflict.
He said that AJK Government had prioritised development and social uplift projects in Azad Kashmir. He said that the government was currently focusing on the construction of roads, energy production, access to health, high-quality education, promotion of tourism, development of extractive industry and agriculture.
"In the coming years, AJK will be the main destination for investors from Pakistan and abroad," he said. The president encouraged investment in AJK by inviting entrepreneurs and business persons to Azad Kashmir. He said that AJK welcomes investors in exploring the nascent yet highly promising mineral extraction industry. He said that under the CPEC, a Specialized Industrial Zone in Mirpur will be established which will be connected to the main CPEC route via Mansehra-Mirpur Expressway. He said the industrial zone would be the primary hub for economic activity in AJK.