MIRPUR               -         Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), had said that we as Muslims had to take the lead and resolve long standing issues plaguing the Muslim Ummah like Palestine and Kashmir through political conflict resolution mechanisms provided to us in the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Citing major events like the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (Sulah Hudaybiyyah) and clemency announced upon the Conquest of Makkah, he said that the Prophet (PBUH) was a leader par excellence who over the period of his lifetime peacefully resolved major issues between Muslims and their rivals all over the Arabian Peninsula.

The AJK President made these remarks while speaking to Prof Dr Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Director General (DG) Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University who called upon the President here at Jammu and Kashmir House.

The AJK President said that the Muslim world had to unite against forces trying to create a divide amongst their ranks. He said that Islam was a religion of peace and we had to propagate the true teachings of Islam. He added that the Muslim Ummah had to realize its true potential and regain its true position in the global spectrum.

President Masood Khan said that despite being the oppressed, a major chunk of the Muslim population had adopted a defensive posture about Islam, Kashmir and Palestine. “We have to be proactive and start a process of result-oriented dialogue amongst fellow Muslim nations towards the resolution of these longstanding disputes” said the President.

The approach for humanitarian diplomacy for these territories under occupation should be immediately explored by Muslim countries all over the globe, asserted Masood Khan.

Prof Dr Zia-ul-Haq informed the President of the Institute’s activities. He said that this institution had been one of the leading think tanks in the country providing assistance in legislature and drafting leading documents on Islam. He informed that in 1973, this institute also played a seminal role in the drafting of the Constitution and then producing its Arabic translation for dignitaries attending the 1974 Lahore Summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

The Director General said that various magazines and quarterly research journals – recognised as category X by HEC – were being published at the Institute. He said that a special edition of their leading Fikr-o-Nazar research journal solely focusing on Kashmir would also be published in the coming months which would subsequently be composed into a book for public dissemination.

The AJK President appreciated the positive role played by the Institute in helping highlighting the various issues faced by the Muslim Ummah and praised the Muslim scholars and researchers who had contributed to this cause.

Prof Dr Zia presented various books and research journals published by the Institute to the President. He also invited the AJK President to visit the Institute which he said housed over 25,000 rare handwritten manuscripts and books, some dating over seven centuries.