ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove his support among Kashmiris by holding a rally in Azad Jammu Kashmir. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi challenged Modi to address a public gathering in AJK and let Prime Minister Imran Khan hold a rally in Srinagar.
“This will test the efficacy of his (Modi) policies in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar rally will prove how much Kashmiris love Pakistan,” he said.
Speaking to journalists here, he said Modi always claims Kashmiris have no issue with India. “We invite him to prove it,” he contended.
The FM said that it had been a year of India’s policy enforced imposed in held Kashmir. “If you are confident enough, as foreign minister of Pakistan, I invite you to come and address Kashmiris in Muzaffarabad and see what kind of reception you would receive. If you have courage and confidence, allow Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Srinagar and see how he is received there,” he added.
He said this would prove to be a referendum by the people of Kashmir.
“This is a challenge. Accept it if you have courage or review (your policy) if you don’t,” the foreign minister remarked.
He said the new political map of Pakistan represented the nation’s sentiments, which also manifested that Kashmir was a dispute awaiting resolution and India could not escape from the UN resolutions.
Qureshi said the imposition of curfew in IIOJK on the day had proved that the morale of the Kashmiri people was still high. If Indian actions on August 5, 2019 were in the interest of Kashmir people, there must have been celebrations and festivities, instead of lockdown, he added.
He said the Modi regime’s fascist policies were even being condemned within India where people were calling for review as the current policies were creating estrangement from Kashmiris.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Qureshi led a huge rally from Foreign Office to express solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as the country observed Kashmir Siege Day.
The participants held the placards and the flags of Pakistan and Kashmir and chanted slogans to condemn the Indian fascism and support the people of IIOJK who had been going through unprecedented ordeal during last 365 days since August 5, 2019 when India had taken illegal actions in the disputed territory.
The rally, that was also attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yousuf, parliamentarians and party workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, was latter merged in the main rally led by President Dr Arif Alvi.
At the rally, Senator Faisal Javed said the whole of country’s political leadership stood united on Kashmir issue, regardless of political divide.
He said the incumbent government had highlighted the Kashmir issue across the world like never before and Prime Minister Imran Khan had fulfilled his commitment to become the ambassador for Kashmir.