MUZAFFARABAD, 20 NOV (DNA) -Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan and Kashmiri people are bonded with eternal bonds. He made these remarks while addressing the meeting of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council in Muzaffarabad on Thursday.
Prime Minister said his government is proactively highlighting the issue of Kashmir at every forum. The PM said he raised the issue in United Nations (UN) General Assembly meeting in last September.
He expressed his concerns over the silence of UN and international community on the issue and urged them to take initiative for resolution of the issue according to UN Security Council’s resolutions and the aspiration of Kashmiri people.
The Prime Minister said economic prosperity in the region cannot be achieved without peace. He said India has always exhibited its traditional stubbornness regarding Kashmir issue. He said declaring the struggle of Kashmiris as terrorism is wrong approach of India.
Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan is rendering great sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
He said it is wrong to term the struggle of Kashmiris for their right of self-determination as terrorism.
He said Pakistan policies are gaining acceptance at international level. The Prime Minister said Pakistan wants to resolve the core issue of Kashmir through dialogue. He regretted that India cancelled Foreign Secretary level talks without any reason.
He called upon international community to exert pressure on India to come to the negotiating table.Nawaz Sharif said unprovoked firing on Line of Control (LoC) by the Indian forces have harmed the confidence building measures.
He said security forces of Pakistan have responded effectively to the unprovoked firing by the Indian sideThe Prime Minister distributed cheques of compensation worth one million rupees each among 37 families of heirs who lost their lives during the recent rains and floods in Azad Kashmir. Nineteen families of the heirs had already been given the compensation cheques as 56 persons had died in the flood and rains in AJK.
PM Nawaz Sharif met with the affected families and expressed sympathies with them.
Meanwhile, a delegation of PML-N Azad Kashmir led by its President Raja Farooq Haider Khan called on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. The delegation discussed with the Prime Minister about the matter of development in AJK and latest situation obtaining in Occupied Kashmir.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was given a detailed briefing about the development projects in Azad Kashmir by Chief Secretary Azad Kashmir. Nawaz Sharif was informed that the Central Working Party has given approval for Mangla Upraising project. He said detailed survey about the damages caused by recent floods has been completed.
He said 28,000 houses were damaged while Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Bagh were affected most by the rains and floods.On arrival, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was received by AJK President, Prime Prime Minister and AJK cabinet members.DNA