Pakistani Ambassador Mohammed Naeem Khan thanked the Saudi leadership and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for their effort to resolve the Kashmir issue, which had been a sticking point in the Indo-Pak ties.
“The Kashmir issue is very important and we’ll do our best to get freedom for Kashmiris,” he said during the celebration of the Kashmir Solidarity Day (KSD) at the Pakistani Embassy.
Yunus Molan, chairman of the Kashmir Committee in World Assembly of Muslim Youth, attended the program as chief guest. A large number of Pakistani community, embassy officials, businessmen, journalists and intellectuals were also present.
India alone has an estimated 600,000 troops in the part it controls, four times the number of American soldiers who were in Iraq at the height of that war.
“Kashmir is a unique militarized zone in the world, the Kashmiri issue is the oldest on the UN agenda. For every 20 Kashmiris, India has deployed one soldier,” he said.
In accordance with the Kashmir Day, a solidarity resolution was read out by Asif Qureshi, expressing solidarity with Kashmiris requesting the international community to take notice of the atrocities committed against them.
The resolution demanded that India to resolve the Kashmir problem according to UN resolution as pledged by India on the international level. It was adopted, calling on UN to implement Security Council resolution on Kashmiri issue according to the aspirations of the people.
“The dream of achieving peace in Asia can never be fulfilled until the Kashmiri issue is resolved. The Indian government should eradicate the laws against human rights and add fair elections in Kashmir as promised,” the resolution said.
Well-known speakers during the event included Ahmad Nawaz Baksh, a Saudi journalist; Abdul Malik Mujahid, chief of Darrusalam publishing house; and community leaders Khalid Akram Rana, Ehsan Danish, Mohammad Rafique, Qari Abdul Basit, Fayyaz Ali Khan, Zishan Akhter and Gulam Nabi.
Baksh said, “Kashmiris should utilize all their available modern sources to highlight their issue on international level.
Over 100,000 Kashmiris had been killed by Indian troops so far in the Indian-held Kashmir. He expressed sympathy for Kashmiris and emphasized the need to continue raising the issue on different forums.
Mujahid appealed to the international community and the UN to implement Security Council resolutions on Kashmir and stop human rights violation. He stressed on the world community to help Kashmiris in their fight for freedom.
The other speakers said that the solution through peaceful means is inevitable for tranquility of South Asia. The meeting concluded with prayers for the liberation and prosperity of Kashmir.