Mirwaiz thanks Pakistan for supporting Kashmir

Geelani, the statement said, however, expressed hope that “Pakistan will not turn its eyes away from with the Kashmiris and they will continue to support them on political, diplomatic and moral levels”.

Earlier, a Pakistani parliamentary panel has advised Islamabad against encouraging “active support” to “armed, banned and militant” groups in Kashmir.

“Kashmiri youths have not opted for the armed struggle out of fun but it is India’s rigid and stubborn policy vis-à-vis Kashmir issue that gave rise to such a situation due to which precious human lives are continuously being lost in Jammu and Kashmir”. Addressing a function organized by the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day, the minister said that the Kashmir issue was a great challenge for the global community and the United Nations is duty-bound to end the suffering of the Kashmiri people in the Indian-held territory.

“The valiant people of Indian-occupied Kashmir had rendered unmatched sacrifices in their just struggle”, he said, adding that “Indian brutalities and atrocities” had failed to deter the people of Kashmir from their “cause for freedom from Indian oppression”. “America at first projected the Afghan and Arab youth as Mujahideen and used them against the Soviet Union and when America finished its work, the same Mujahideen were slapped with terrorist labels and dragged to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib jails”, said Mr. Geelani.

The Hurriyat (G) Chairman said if the world community takes serious steps on resolving the Kashmir issue, and provides Kashmiris a chance to decide their future, “every Kashmiri, cutting across ideological barriers, will cooperate and abide by the action plan agreed upon between all parties”. India never recognized the peaceful struggle of the Kashmiri people and always used its military might to suppress this struggle.

Different political and social organizations have chalked out special programmes to show solidarity with the Kashmiris struggling to get freedom from India.

The committee, headed by ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Awais Ahmad Leghari, also proposed to the government of Pakistan to take action against “violent armed outfits” to dispel worldwide concerns that Pakistan was not doing enough against groups involved in attacks in Kashmir.