ISLAMABAD - Inviting opposition to come forward with positive suggestion for Kashmir issue, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in yesterday’s National Assembly claimed the issue had been internationalised with effective and prompt diplomacy of PTI’s government.

“There is no reason for disappointment as struggle with full determination on Kashmir issue would continue,” said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, responding to opposition’s point of order about efforts of incumbent government for the Kashmir cause.

Qureshi asked the opposition not to ‘minimise’ Pakistan’s efforts to highlight the Kashmir issue around the world. “Incumbent government has internationalised the Kashmir problem and because of it big powers recognised Kashmir as an issue,” he said, mentioning that India was divided on its illegal annexation of Kashmir. However, Pakistani nation was united over Kashmir issue and ‘there is no question of weakness ‘.

“I invite opposition to come forward with solid suggestions as every positive input for Kashmir issue will be incorporated.” The minister twice invited opposition lawmakers in foreign office on this matter.

He said this issue had been raised and discussed in the US Congress, EU Parliament, UN Security Council, OIC, and parliaments of various countries.

Opp criticises OIC response to Kashmir crisis

About remarks of opposition regarding membership of OIC, he said there was need to get united with Islamic countries. “The voice of this House do not weaken our hands but strengthen them,” he said, adding that human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had also supported Pakistan’s stance.

He shared with the house that 70 heads of states, governments, and foreign ministers of different countries were contacted to sensitise the world community on this matter. Over 1100 protest demonstrations have been reported during relaxation of curfew by the Indian occupation forces in the valley, he said, criticising opposition for not raising the voice for Kashmir issue during its ‘Azadi March’ in two months. The house witnessed rumpus from opposition over remarks of federal minister.

The opposition lawmakers from different parties suggested government to declare a diplomatic emergency to sensitize the international community over human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir. “There is need to emergency visits of minister for foreign affairs, envoys and Chairman Kashmir committee to different countries to build pressure on Indian government and sensitize the international community,” said PML-N MNA Ahsan Iqbal.

He strongly criticised OIC’s response to Kashmir crisis. “We don’t need a dead forum that cannot even call a session on this issue,” he said.

PPP-P’s senior MNA Raja Pervez Ashraf said that government needed to exert more pressure on India to lift curfew as so far it could not make them to end the inhuman act [curfew].

Another PPP MNA Hina Rabbani Khar said the government should “at least try to convene a meeting of the OIC foreign ministers”.

MMA lawmaker Maulana Abdul Wasay criticised PTI government for causing dent to Kashmir issue only in a year. “This government has damaged the Kashmir issue in its tenure,” he said. On it, federal minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said incumbent government had been making all out efforts for Kashmir cause.

RESOLUTION TO CONDEMN DESECRATION OF HOLY QURAN

The house passed unanimous resolution to condemn desecration of the Holy Quran terming the same a planned conspiracy to hurt feelings of Muslims across the world.

The resolution moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan asked the government to effectively take up the issue at the international level for stopping incidents aimed at insulting the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and desecration of the Holy Quran.

The resolution also asked the government to take up the sensitive issue with Norway government to lodge protest and prevent such incidents in future. The parliamentarians also saluted the young Muslim namely Umar Ilyas for his bold effort to stop desecration of Holy Quran in Norway.

Earlier, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, who was re-elected from NA-259 seat, asked government to fulfil its promise about ending the sense of deprivation felt by the people of Balochistan. “We have never expressed any wish to get separation from Pakistan. We will live and die in this country,” he said.

While, four lawmakers from Balochistan National Party (BNP) staged sit-in in front of Speaker’s podium to protest disappearance of four women from Awaran district of the province.

Raising the issue on a point of order, Agha Hassan Baloch said at a time when missing persons in large number were returning to their homes in Balochistan, four women had gone missing while cases had also been registered against them.

Later, they ended their protest after proposal of the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan for referring the matter to the concerned standing committee of the House. Earlier, the government side introduced ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Ordinance, 2019’, which was strongly opposed by the opposition.

The government side also introduced three bills including ‘The Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Bill, 2019’, ‘The Port Qasim Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2019’ and ‘The Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000’.