ISLAMABAD/LAHORE   -   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday emphasised that granting due rights to the people of Kashmir and Palestine is the only way to maintain peace and stability in the regions.

In his televised address to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Youm-e-Istehsal, the prime minister said the day is not far away when both India and Israel will be bound to give due rights to the people of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as all ways other than this lead to total destruction.  He said that Pakistan is a nuclear power and that was part of its defence. However, he said Pakistan had never thought of aggression with regard to its nuclear power. “Therefore the better option is to adopt the peaceful way and sit together to find out the peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute.”

The prime minister pointed out that this occasion reminded us of the grave consequences of India’s illegal actions of 5 August 2019 vis-à-vis Indian Ilegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Ever since, he said today, in the IIOJK, efforts were being made to silence the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people and muzzle the media. “The number of political prisoners remain in the thousands, while 14 political organizations have been outlawed.”

The harassment of innocent people, arbitrary detentions and the so-called ‘cordon and search operations have become a matter of routine. The Indian forces are operating with impunity, according to them under different draconian laws, he added.

PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed that until the Kashmiris get the basic rights and freedom, Pakistan will continue to extend the moral support and will continue to knock the doors of all the international institutions.

Paying tributes to the people of Kashmir, he said “we salute to their struggle for freedom who had been bearing the atrocities and cruelties of the Indian armed forces for 77 years”.

He also paid tributes the Hurriyat leaders including Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Sardar Ibrahim Khan, Mirwaiz Muhammad Yousuf, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Moulana Abbas Ansari and all the young workers and leaders who raised their voices against the Indian atrocities.

“We salute to Asiya Andrabi, Yaseen Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Mussarat Alam Butt, and Burhan Wani for their struggle for freedom.

As regards of the Palestine situation, the prime minister said more than 40,000 Palestinians had been martyred so far including thousands of children. The unarmed Palestinians are still being martyred everyday, he said.

Israel’s Prime Minister Natenyahu through his army, has broken the records of barbarism in Palestinians, he said adding that recently, in Tehran, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was martyred.

In Pakistan, he said a day of mourning was observed and funeral prayers in absentia was performed across the country.

He said the Imam of Aqsa Mosque, who talked about Ismail Haniyeh’ martyrdom had also been arrested.

Also, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that there was a need to restore the lost glory of all sports and re-live the golden era of the country’s supremacy in the fields of hockey and cricket. Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of up-gradation work at the Gaddafi Stadium here at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters, he said it could be achieved by ensuring merit and right restructuring of the Men’s cricket team, adding that the national cricket team should regain its lost stature in the international cricket.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Senior Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, parliamentarians, government functionaries and PCB officials were also present.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressing to ensure merit in the team selection, said that there should be no room for nepotism and jobbery. The PM said he had complete faith in Federal Interior Minister/PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to put the national cricket on the winning track with his utmost dedication and excellent work ethic. Shehbaz Sharif said the up-gradation of Gaddafi stadium on modern lines was a positive initiative, adding that: “Our cricket stadiums must meet the international standards”.

Lauding PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for his initiative of bringing the cricketing facilities at par with the standard, maintained by other countries, the prime minister expressed the hope that Mohsin Naqvi would complete the up-gradation of cricket stadiums with the same commitment and speed with which he completed various development projects in the province during his tenure as Punjab caretaker chief minister. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reminded the PCB chief to infuse a renewed spirit in the cricketing culture of the country to meet aspirations of cricket fans in the country.

Modi’s actions five years ago violated UN resolutions: Dar

Meanwhile, a rally in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal was held at Constitution Avenue in Islamabad this morning to register protest against Indian government’s illegal action of August 5, 2019, revoking the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the rally, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar said the step taken by the Indian government five years ago is an open violation of the United Nations resolutions and the UN Charter.

He said if India considers itself champion of democracy then it should open Occupied Kashmir for foreign observers to assess the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces.

Ishaq Dar said India cannot succeed in its nefarious designs by abrogating the special status of illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir through rescinding Article 370 and 35-A of the its constitution aimed at changing the demography of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the incumbent government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is fighting the case of the people of Kashmir at all international forums including the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Ishaq Dar said Pakistan will continue to extend its strong political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri people till realization of their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

He said India cannot suppress the freedom movement of Kashmiris and should announce holding plebiscite.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that founding father Quaid-e- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared Kashmir jugular vein of Pakistan and it will become part of Pakistan.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, Engineer Amir Muqam in his remarks said that Kashmir dispute will stay alive until the Kashmiri people get right to self-determination.

APHC Convener , AJK Chapter, Ghulam Muhammad Safi said the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are not alone in their struggle but the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir are standing by them.  He said Jammu and Kashmir can never be part of India.

He said this territory is jugular vein of Pakistan and it will become part of Pakistan.