PESHAWAR     -   Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Mau­lana Fazlur Rehman has said that revoking the special status of held Kashmir by Indian gov­ernment recently was denial of the internation­al agreements and documents on the issue of Kashmir, adding that Kashmir is not part of In­dia at all.

From day one, the present government has given no weight to the issue of Kashmir in gen­eral and the recently emerged situation in par­ticular, he said claiming that “Indian Prime Min­ister Narendra Modi had announced during his election campaign that special status of held Kashmir would be revoked, and he did so.”

But unfortunately, “On our side, our Kaptan had wished a win for Modi in Indian elections,” Fazl said this while addressing the JUI-F provin­cial Shura meeting held at the party’s provincial secretariat here on Thursday.

Besides Shura members, executive council members, the party’s office bearers at district and tehsil level and nazims attended the meet­ing. They discussed the prevailing situation in Indian held Kashmir, political situation at home, anti-masses policies of the PTI government and organising public meetings against the govern­ment at district level in the province.

Moreover, the JUI-F’s proposed sit-in in Islam­abad and ensuring the maximum participation in the power show were also discussed. They also evolved a strategy to express solidarity with Kashmir people by organising Islamabad Azadi March in connection with Pakistan Independ­ence Day’s celebrations on August 14. On this occasion, the JUI-F chief also apprised the party office bearers of the million marches, which his party has been organising for the last one year against alleged rigging in July 25, 2018 polls.

Rejecting India’s move, he said that “Revoking Article 370 has no legal or constitutional justifi­cation. Kashmir isn’t part of India. It is neither India’s internal issue. It is actually an interna­tional issue. The India’s recent move violates a UN resolution on the issue of Kashmir.”

The issue of Kashmir can only be resolved in the light of the UN resolution. Scrapping the sta­tus of held Kashmir by the India government will not affect the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people, he said adding that Kashmiris will continue their struggle and Pakistani nation will be with them.

We salute the sacrifices of Kashmiri peo­ple who have been facing the atrocities of Indi­an government for more than 70 years, he said adding that “we openly express solidarity with Kashmiri people.” He said the JUI-F will stage protest demonstrations today (Friday) to ex­press solidarity with people of Kashmir as well as condemn the Indian government and its re­cent decision on the status of held Kashmir.

“Our rulers were predicting a possible solu­tion to Kashmir issue after Modi’s win in Indi­an elections. But Modi had himself announced during his election drive that he would change the status of Kashmir, if he was voted and elect­ed as PM,” Fazl claimed adding that there is a big question mark as to why government does not take the issue of Kashmir seriously.

At the end of the JUI-F’s provincial Shura meeting, a schedule for holding anti-govern­ment public meetings was announced under which two separate public meetings will be held on August 24 in Nowshera and Swabi, August 25 Mardan and Buner, August 26 Chitral, August 31 Charsadda and Peshawar, September 1 Kohat and Hangu, September 2 Karak and Bannu, Sep­tember 3 Lakki Marwat and Tank, September 4 Dera Ismail Khan, Septermber 7 Haripur and Abbottabad, September 8 Mansehra and Batta­gram, September 9 Torghar and Shangla, and on September 10 in Kohistan district.