Pakistan to adhere to principled stand of right of self-determination of Kashmiris:President Mamnoon Hussain

Lahore: President Mamnoon Hussain Tuesday said Pakistan would continue to adhere to the principled stand of the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people, which was the basis of its foreign policy.

He was talking to a delegation of Kashmiri leaders who called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Muhammad Barjees Tahir, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, leaders of political parties of Azad Kashmir and All Parties Hurriyat Conference were also present.

The meeting was organized especially on the day of passing of United Nations resolution for the right of self-determination of Kashmir and as part of commemoration of Quaid-e-Azam’s birth anniversary.

President Mamnoon Hussain said that Pakistan would continue supporting the right of self-determination of Kashmiris because Pakistan considers Kashmir an unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent.

The President stated that the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said that the alphabet “K” in Pakistan denotes Kashmir and Pakistan was incomplete without Kashmir.

He said the view of Quaid-e-Azam that Kashmir was jugular vein of Pakistan was a guiding principle for every Pakistani.

The President said the support for the right of self-determination for Kashmiri people was the basic principle of Pakistan’s foreign policy adding that Pakistan has raised the voice in support of Kashmiris on every political and diplomatic forum and it would continue playing this role in future as well.

The President said that Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim majority area and the efforts underway for turning their majority into a minority would never be successful.

President Mamnoon Hussain assured the Kashmiri leadership that there would be no change in the principled stand of Pakistan on Kashmir and it would continue to support the just aspirations of oppressed people of the occupied Kashmir.

Condemning the attack on airbase in Pathankot, the President said that Pakistan was against all kind of terrorism. The President said Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Muhammad Barjees Tahir, President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Prime Minister Azad Jammu & Kashmir Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and other Kashmiri leaders also expressed their views on the occasion and highlighted the Kashmir issue.