ISLAMABAD, December 14: Pakistan has said, “No improvement in relations with India is expected as long as it does not change its negative attitude and stop persecution of defenceless Kashmiri people.”
Foreign Office Spokesperson, Nafees Zakariya stated this on Wednesday in an exclusive interview.
He regretted that the Indian side has missed many opportunities of normalization relations with Pakistan due to its negative attitude which it manifested by sabotaging the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference as well as the recently held BRICs and Heart of Asia moots.
The Spokesperson said, “The ongoing movement in occupied Kashmir cannot be linked with terrorism but it is the just struggle of local people for their right to self-determination. No other country gives weightage to Indian argument which links the movement with terrorism.”
Responding to a question, the spokesperson said, “Pakistan is effectively highlighting Kashmir dispute at international fora and will continue to do so.” “We will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri brethren’s,” he said.
The spokesperson said, “It is because of our forceful diplomacy that the United Nations, the OIC and several international human rights organizations have voiced concerns over the prevailing gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.”
He said, “The Geneva based Human Rights commission and the OIC have demanded an independent inquiry into the atrocities.” He was confident that, “In the coming days, India will be left with no option but to allow an inquiry into occupied Kashmir’s situation.”
Nafees Zakariya noted that, “Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute and there are several UNSC resolutions which accept the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people.” He said, “The resolution of this seven decades old dispute is imperative for peace and stability in the region.”
Giving a complete background of the lingering dispute, the Spokesperson said, “Several important countries have offered mediation for the resolution of the dispute but the Indian side is sticking to its intransigence which will not augur well either for India or for the regional peace and stability.”
The Spokesperson said, “India is trying to cover up its persecution campaign in occupied Kashmir by heating up the situation at the line of control.” -DNA
