| Imran Khan says once plebiscite is implemented, Kashmiris may join Pakistan 
| India can never win over Kashmiri population | We were trying to develop friendship (with India) but they were stabbing us in back | Never misunderstand that our offer for friendship is based on any fear

KOTLI/ISLAMABAD  -   Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reiterated Pakistan’s stance that Kashmir dispute can only be resolved by implementing the plebiscite guaranteed in UNSC resolutions.

“Once the plebiscite is implemented, and Kashmiris join Pakistan, their relationship will be between Pakistan and Kashmiris. Let us focus on the dispute right now....that is the struggle we must keep our eye on and expose India s behavior,” PM Imran Khan sated this while addressing a public rally in Kotli area of Azad Kashmir in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day.

PM has again proven Pakistan is so sincere to the Kashmir cause and the lives of Kashmir, the human angle is foremost, that he has stressed that Kashmiri aspirations are the most important thing for us. “This is the difference between the two states. Pakistan standing for the just right of Kashmiris and Indian acting as a rogue manner to oppress and Kashmiris in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” added.

Imran Khan said India could never win over the resolute Kashmiri people by using force as implementation of the UNSC resolutions guaranteeing right to self-determination to them was the only solution.

“The world history tells that no army could ever win over a population. When a nation stood united, it defeated even the powerful armies. The United States, a super power could not win in Vietnam... No super power could win in Afghanistan... France could not win over population in Algeria,” he said while addressing a huge gathering.

Held in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day, the event was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi, Special Assistant to the PM Rauf Hassan and President of PTI’s AJK Chapter Barrister Sultan Mahmood, besides thousands of the people from across the territory.

Reiterating his commitment to raise the Kashmiris’ voice across the world as “Ambassador of Kashmir”, the prime minister said instead of suppressing the Kashmiri people, Narendra Modi’s Hindutva ideology would destroy the Indian society.

He thanked the people of Kotli for warm reception and said he was there to remind the world community of their unfulfilled commitment of granting self-determination right to the Kashmiri people enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

The same UN granted right to self-determination to the Christian-majority East Timor through referendum liberating it from Indonesia, he added. He said he had reminded the UN of its commitment during his speeches at the General Assembly and would keep doing so forever until the Kashmiris got their fundamental right.

‘I am raising your voice’

The prime minister said when the Kashmiris would decide in Pakistan’s favour using their self-determination right then Pakistan would also give them the right to choose whether to stay independent or accede to it.

He assured that the whole Pakistani nation stood united in solidarity with the Kashmiris. All the Muslims across the globe supported the Kashmir cause, even though the respective governments did not do so due to certain reasons. Even the right-minded non-Muslim people also advocated granting self-determination right to the Kashmiris, he added.

Imran Khan said Pakistan fully realised the atrocities faced by the IIOJK people, who had been sacrificing their loved ones. “To the level of my strength, I am raising your voice, be it at the United Nations, world leaders, and European Union leaders, talked to ex-US President (Donald Trump) thrice to seek his role for Kashmir resolution. (I) Will raise your voice in media. Rest assure, I will raise your voice everywhere as I had committed to act as Ambassador of Kashmir,” he remarked.

The prime minister said his government tried to give a message of friendship to India and make it understand that it could not win over Kashmir through oppression. He said the Kashmir people would never accept the Indian oppression through 900,000 troops as the passion of freedom was inculcated even in the newborns.

The prime minister said following its unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, India had also lost the support of residual few Kashmiri leaders, who were now calling for freedom. No pro-India politician would ever be able to win election in the IIOJK.

He said he tried to rectify ties with India through dialogue and seek the Kashmir dispute resolution under the UN resolutions as “there is no other way”. Imran Khan said just to attract anti-Pakistan votes, Modi pre-planned the Pulwama attack and Balakot strike damaging his “much-loved” trees in Pakistan as the conspiracy had been exposed through the chat of Indian news anchor Arnab Goswami.

Ready to talk to India

Moreover, Indian propaganda against him and the Pakistan Army through hundreds of fake websites was also exposed by EU DisinfoLab, he added. “We were trying to develop friendship but they were stabbing us in back,” he remarked.

He said any society having pursued RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)-like agenda was destroyed, which also divided the Indian society where the Muslims were being discriminated and other minorities felt scared.  He said Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) always strived to unite the people. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Nelson Mandela were revered just because of their role to unite the divided societies.

Pursuing the vision of great leaders, he said, he also desired to unite the people and work for the uplift backward societies. On the contrary, Modi was dividing the Indian society and in fact laying the foundation of the country’s destruction, he added.

Goal of self-determination is not far

Calling India to resolve bilateral issues with Pakistan through dialogue with the reversal of August 5, 2019 actions and grant of self-determination right to the Kashmiris as preconditions, the prime minister said Pakistan was ready to talk to India. But its quest for peace must not be misconstrued as weakness, he added.

“Never misunderstand that our offer for friendship is based on any fear. This is the country of Allah’s believers, who are afraid of nothing except Allah,” the prime minister remarked. He said his government was alive to the sufferings of the people living along Line of Control facing Indian aggression and had prepared a relief package for them.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan hoped that the achievement of Kashmiris’ goal of self-determination was not far as the younger generation was taking the struggle forward with even greater resolve.  “Now, a younger generation of Kashmiris is taking the struggle forward with even greater resolve. To the Kashmiri people, my message is that your goal of self-determination is not far,” the prime minister said in a series of tweets as the nation observed the Kashmir Solidarity Day.

On the Day, he reiterated that Pakistan stood united and resolute with the Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle for self-determination, which had been reaffirmed by the international community in numerous United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

He said over seven decades of Indian occupation and oppression had failed to weaken the Kashmiri people’s resolve to struggle for their right to self-determination.

 “Pakistan will stand with you till you achieve your legitimate rights. Pakistan has always stood for peace in our region, but the onus of creating an enabling environment lies with India,” Imran Khan added.

He said if India demonstrated sincerity in seeking a just solution to the Kashmir issue, in accordance with the UNSC resolutions, Pakistan was ready to take two steps forward for peace. “But let no one mistake our desire for stability & peace as a sign of weakness,” he said. He said rather, it was because of Pakistan’s strength and confidence as a nation that it was prepared to go the extra mile to ensure a just peace that fulfilled the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.