AJK PM sends letter to FM, envoys over Kashmir Long March
MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Saturday condemned the unprovoked shelling by Indian forces in different sectors, including Neelum valley, and the consequential loss of human life and property.
In a statement, he said that India’s cowardly acts will not demoralise the people of Azad Kashmir and he called upon the international community to take notice of Indian terrorism and war crimes against the civilian population residing along the Line of Control (LoC).
Regretting the martyrdom of a child and injuries to nine other citizens in Indian shelling in Changan, Doodhnial and Sharda areas of Neelum valley since yesterday, he expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.
The AJK president added that the Indian Army was using cluster munition from across the LoC, which was a war crime under the cluster ammunition convention, and India itself is a signatory to it.
“Under a well thought out strategy, India is escalating tension at the LoC to divert the world’s attention from the situation of occupied Kashmir.”
“India is openly committing terrorism in both parts of the Kashmir region, and India will have to a heavy price,” he added.
He added that the people of Azad Kashmir are with the forces of Pakistan and they are ready to give a befitting response to any adventurism by India.
“The whole Pakistani nation and the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are united and unanimous against India and in support of the liberation movement of people of occupied territory,” he added.
The AJK president further said that India will never be able to compel the people of Kashmir to give up their freedom because the moral of the Kashmiri people is higher than the Himalayas.
“The incumbent Indian rulers must keep in mind that once Nazi Germany was also in power, but a time came that it had to become answerable for each and every act of repression,” he added.
The AJK president called upon the international community to hold India answerable for breach of international laws, and mount pressure on it to prevent it from fanning war hysteria and escalating tension in the region.
Agencies Add: Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider has appealed in an urgent letter to the government of Pakistan requesting emergency measures for safety of innocent lives in Kashmir.
The letter addressed to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has also been dispatched to the representatives of the United Nations and five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
“The issue of Long March from Azad Kashmir to cross the Line of Control has become a matter of great concern as thousands of Kashmiri people want to cross the LoC,” the letter to Pakistan’s FM read. “The people of Azad Kashmir want to help their besieged brethren in Indian Occupied Kashmir”.
“The Occupied Kashmir is locked down and under curfew with communications closed and around 13,000 young people incarcerated. The government of Azad Kashmir has been under an intense pressure of the people who intend to cross the LoC,” the letter read.
“The participants of the long march have been stopped at the distance of six kilometers from the LoC and they were repeatedly requested to end their march but they want to cross the LoC without caring any hazard to their lives in the act,” the letter further said. “The Long March participants have staged sit-in at Chakothi to Srinagar highway,” the prime minister AJK said in letter. The organizers of the protest want to meet the ambassadors of the UNSC permanent member countries and representatives of the United Nations, the letter read.
AJK PM Raja Farooq Haider has appealed in the letter for a visit of the UN representatives and envoys of China, United States, Russia and other countries for the sake of safety of the lives of innocent people. – Agencies
