MUZAFFARABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday made it clear that Pakistan would not give any “half-hearted” response to India’s unlawful actions on occupied Jammu and Kashmir and will advocate the just struggle of Kashmiris from the forefront because it considered them its own people.

“We consider Kashmiris as potential Pakistanis, the future citizens of Pakistan. We cannot allow anyone to trample the rights of our own people. Wherever we have to raise our voice, we will do that and wherever an action is needed we will take that. This advocacy is of our own land and our own people,” the prime minister told a press conference at the conclusion of his two-day visit to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) capital.

It was the first direct interaction of any visiting Pakistani prime minister with the AJK-based media persons in several years.

Kashmiris urged not to feel depressed in the wake of Indian Supreme Court’s decision

“Rest assured we will devise a str­a­tegy with complete consensus and consultation with the Kashmiri lea­dership and (relevant) people from other walks of life,” Mr Kakar said.

He asked the Kashmiris across the globe not to feel depressed in the wake of the Indian Supreme Court’s politically motivated decision, “as four pygmies could not suppress their freedom movement by giving a judgment”.

Freedom movements do witness ups and downs but cannot be suppressed by any means of repression,“ he said, adding that India was desperate to break the resolve of Kashmiri people but it would miserably fail this time as well.

The caretaker prime minister advised India to fulfil its responsibilities as an interim arrangement under the UN Security Council resolutions rather than going beyond its mandate.

“Let it be clear again that the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir was never a part of India and it will not be so in future… The final settlement of this long-standing issue lies in the UN Security Council resolutions which call for a plebiscite.

“Other than that, no court or no assembly has any right to decide the future status of Kashmir,” the prime minister said.

He informed journalists that he had held long consultative sessions with Kashmiri leadership where a number of old and new suggestions had come to the fore.

“It has been decided that another round of regular meetings will soon be held in Islamabad to give a final shape to ideas and proposals to adv­ance the Kashmiris’ movement.”

In reply to a question, he said: “You will soon see the Foreign Office and Pakistani missions playing an active role vis-à-vis Kashmir with the cooperation, coordination and consultation of Kashmiri leadership.” On another question, Mr Kakar said there had been a positive development during discussion with the AJK cabinet on an economic package and other projects for the liberated territory.

“Wherever the government of Pakistan’s support is concerned we will extend it to the AJK government for completion of the ongoing and initiation of new projects,” he said, adding that he had constituted a cabinet committee to stay in contact with the AJK government in this regard.

He said Kashmiris would never forget the deaths of their more than 100,000 people, rape of their sisters and daughters and enforced disappearances at the hands of brute Indian army in addition to mass graves.

“I ask to the conscience of India’s civil society that how can you tell those you have raped that they too are Indians,” he said, and added: “Kashmiris will never accept India because such horrible things are not forgotten even in centuries let alone years.”

He said not a single country had accepted India’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir. In response to a question on the plight of two drivers from AJK languishing in Indian jails as well as around 350 AJK women facing identity issues in occupied Kashmir, he said he would direct FO to look into this issue.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2023