MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peo­ples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday urged the government of Pakistan to lay more emphasis on the right to self-determination of Kashmiri people to be exercised through a plebiscite, guaranteed by the United Nations resolutions.

Speaking at a press conference at the residence of former Azad Jammu and Kashmir prime minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed in the lakeside city of Mirpur where he arrived to meet the earthquake victims, he said his party would try its best to raise a forceful voice for this right of the Kashmiris at every forum.

“It’s the right of every Kashmiri to decide his future on his own free accord. And the only way for it is a plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations resolutions,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.

“The government’s viewpoint is that the prime minister made the best speech [at the UNGA]. Perhaps it was a good speech. But our stance is that our emphasis should have been on that [Aug 5] historical attack.

“Climate change, money laundering [...] these all are important issues but the biggest issue was the imprisonment of the entire Kashmiri population since Aug 5 and this should have been focused by the PM,” he added.

PPP leader visits quake survivors in Mirpur

Continuing, he said the prime minister should have laid more emphasis on the plebiscite and on the right to self-determination, guaranteed by the UN resolutions, where he was standing.

He said the government of Pakistan must talk about human rights violations and other atrocities in held Kashmir, but it should lay more emphasis on the right to self-determination and democratic rights of Kashmiris.

Earlier, the PPP chairman visited the Divisional Headquarters Hospital to inquire after the health of earthquake victims, besides visiting an affected area for first-hand information on the scale of the devastation and condition of the survivors.

Responding to a question at the press conference, he demanded that the federal government provide compensation to the earthquake victims in accordance with the rest of Pakistan.

“We demand that the compensation should be given in line with the damages whose assessment is not a difficult task. We know that the federal government has enough money [for the purpose].”

Earlier, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider telephoned the PPP chairman and expressed his gratitude for visiting the quake-hit area, according to a press release.

In response, Mr Bhutto-Zardari told him that he, his party and Sindh government were ready to extend all possible assistance to the quake victims.

He said he had asked the Sindh government to cooperate with the AJK government on rehabilitation and reconstruction programme in the affected areas.

Zulfikar vs Imran

Recalling that his grandfather and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had made 10 foreign tours for Kashmir after assuming power, Mr Bhutto-Zardari asked how many trips the current prime minister had made for Kashmir over the past two months.

“Speeches in the UN are delivered every year and every prime minister [of Pakistan] talks about Kashmir. So did you. So what was extraordinary in it? What appropriate action you have taken in the wake of the Indian move,” he asked the premier.

He said the government’s ill intent became clear on day one of the joint session of parliament, when it arrested Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Faryal Talpur and other leaders.

While the people in held Kashmir wanted the Pakistani leadership to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and prepare itself to plead their case in every country, Khan sahib wanted to conquer the opposition, he said.

“Becoming an ambassador [of Kashmiris] does not mean making just one speech and one tweet. You have to launch a constant struggle for their movement, rights and right to self-determination,” he said.

Responding to another question, he said the PPP had planned to hold political activity through rallies and public meetings which have been postponed in view of the earthquake. However, “soon we will hold a massive gathering in Kashmir”, he said.

‘Dharna politics’

About Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s proposed sit-in, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that from day one the PPP had been averse to the tradition of dharna politics. However, “we have ann­ounc­ed our moral and political support to the protest and sit-in called by Maulana Fazlur Rehman”, he said.

He said he would soon meet the JUI-F leader because he had to offer condolences to the latter over the recent deadly IED blast which targeted his party’s people in Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2019