Members of the Pakistani community gathered here Wednesday to call for a solution to the Kashmir issue.
The event was held to commemorate Black Day, which is held by Pakistan on Oct. 27 every year to protest at India taking control of the hotly contested Jammu and Kashmir region in 1947. India disputes Pakistan’s claim.
Afshan Khokhar, wife of the Pakistan consul general, hosted the event at their residence. Shaista Safi, manager of the Kashmir Youth Forum, said the group has organized several events to raise awareness of the issue and alleged violations of human rights in the region.
She also urged the international community to help those affected by floods in the region and accused the Indian government of doing little to help alleviate the suffering of ordinary people. She claimed that the Indian government only helped rescue politically connected people and tourists.
Safi urged Muslims to unite. “Unity among us is the key to all our problems and struggle to solve problems,” she said.
Khokhar said that the Pakistani nation stands with the people of Kashmir. “The Kashmir issue is a central element of Pakistan foreign policy and we are committed to the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir, in accordance with the UN resolution.”
“Our objectives are to remind the international community to fulfill its obligations under the law and give the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination,” she said.
Pakistan activists ‘seek solution’ for Kashmir
Pakistan activists ‘seek solution’ for Kashmir
Saudi Arabia launches initiative to reroute Gulf cargo to Red Sea ports
- The initiative comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the widening conflict in the region
- Since the US and Israel struck Iran last month, Tehran has moved to restrict passage through the waterway
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has launched an initiative to redirect shipping from ports in the Arabian Gulf to its Red Sea ports amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.
Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser, who also chairs the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), launched the Logistics Corridors Initiative alongside Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority Governor Suhail Abanmi, Mawani President Suliman Al-Mazroua, and other officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative will establish dedicated operational corridors to receive containers and cargo redirected from ports in the Kingdom's Eastern Region and other Gulf Cooperation Council states to Jeddah Islamic Port and other Red Sea coast ports.
Al-Jasser said the Kingdom was committed to ensuring supply-chain stability and the smooth flow of goods through global trade routes. Jeddah Islamic Port and other west coast ports, he added, were already playing a key role in accommodating shipments redirected from the east, while also linking Gulf cargo to regional and international markets.
The initiative comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the widening conflict in the region. Iran has long threatened to close the strait — the world's most critical oil and gas chokepoint, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass — in the event of a war.
Since the US and Israel struck Iran last month, Tehran has moved to restrict passage through the waterway, sending freight rates soaring and forcing shipping companies to seek alternative routes.
Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports offer a viable bypass, connecting Gulf cargo to global markets without passing through the strait.
