Held Kashmir’s journalists visit Punjab University,Lahore

LAHORE: (Tuesday, August 25, 2015): Group photo of senior journalists from Srinagar and Pakistan with PU VC Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran at Centre for Undergraduate Study on Tuesday.

Lahore: Postponement of Pak-India NSA level dialogue is highly unfortunate. Economic, social and political stability in Pakistan can guarantee peace in the region and a prosperous Pakistan is really important for the freedom of Kashmir. Pakistan is “Political Qibla” of the Muslims of Indian Held Kashmir. The journalists of both sides should play role in resolving the long-standing issue. These remarks were made by senior journalists from Srinagar during their visit to Punjab University here on Tuesday. The Kashmiri delegation was led by Chief Editor Daily Rising Kashmir & Daily Buland Kashmir Dr Syed Shujaat Bukhari.

PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, senior columnists Altaf Hussain Qureshi, Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami, Irshad Ahmad Arif, Sajjad Mir, Dr Mujahid Ali Mansoori, Salman Ghani, Dr Ajmal Niazi, Najam Wali Khan, Sughra Sadaf, Sofia Bedar, Mian Saif ur Rehman, Salman Abid, Col (r) Ikam Ullah Khan, Academic Staff Association members including Dr Hassan Mobeen Alam, Dr Abid Hussain, Dr Mahboob Hussain, Shabbir Sarwar, senior analysts and journalists of Pakistan were present on the occasion. PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran welcomed the delegation.

Addressing the meeting, Dr Shujaat Bukhari said that souring relations between Pakistan and India had increased the miseries and difficulties of Kashmiris. He said that negative propaganda was being fanned and that’s why people should meet each other to remove misconceptions. He said that we should convince the governments of the both sides that Kashmir issue was not a political issue only but it was a humanitarian issue as well. He said that people-to-people contact was in the interest of both the countries. He said that people from both side had benefitted from the bus service which provide a chance to the divided families to meet each other after decades.

Srinagar’s reporter Tariq Mir said that his confidence in Pakistan had restored after visiting the beautiful country because the Pakistan being showed on a TV screen was quite different. He said that prosperity in Pakistan was very dear to them. He said that there must be a strong relationship among traders, journalists, students and people of both the countries.

Principal Correspondent to Hindustan Times Pir Ashiq Mushtaq said that Indian media presented half truth about Kashmir. He said that the incidents of rapes and other violence were being reported by national Indian media but there were some certain limits. He said that Pakistan had witnessed worse situations in 1947 and 1971 but people in Held Kashmir were facing such situation since 65 years. He said that Kashmiris were making true and peaceful efforts for their independence and Pakistan’s role for independence of Kashmiris were commendable.

Another Kashmiri journalist from Srinagar Iftikhar Gillani said that Pakistan was far better than India in terms of civilization and culture. He said that Pakistan should establish good relations with Afghanistan, Iran and other neighboring countries for its stability. He said that Punjab University was the oldest and largest university of South Asia and it should provide maximum facilities to the students from Indian Held Kashmir because Kashmiri students were not safe in Indian universities and on several occasions they felt threat while studying there.

He said that all the SAARC countries should recognize the degrees of the universities member countries. He said that however, Pakistan’s public relations was weak. Talking to the media, leader of the delegation Mr Bukhari thanked PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran for his hospitality and said that the propaganda of declaring Pakistan a failed state had failed. He said that Pakistanis were very hospitable. Senior journalists from Pakistan in their comments said that it was pleasure to meet Kashmiri journalists from Indian Held Kashmir in the time of tension between the countries.

They said that it was unfortunate that the dialogue process between the two countries faced setback several times. Later, a dinner was hosted by Punjab University in the honor of the visiting delegates at the University Club.