Indian unilateral action on occupied Kashmir puts regional peace at stake: FM Qureshi

Dunya News

He said Kashmiris are facing severe hardships like situation due to continued blockade.

MULTAN (Dunya News) – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that Indian Defense Minister’s statement reflects the situation in occupied Kashmir as Modi government wants to put the regional peace at stake.

Talking to media in Multan on Sunday, he said that Indian PM Narendra Modi should end curfew in occupied Kashmir and hold a referendum in Srinagar after releasing Hurriyet leadership.

The minister said that the international community has declared Kashmir issue as disputed territory and despite Indian preventive efforts, UN Security Council discussed this issue.

He said Indian unilateral action on occupied Kashmir status has put the peace of region at stake.

Qureshi went on to say that the people of occupied Kashmir are facing severe hardships like situation due to continued blockade and curfew for the last 14 days.

“Modi government has buried the Nehru and Gandhi s India by revoking special status of occupied Kashmir,” he said.

The foreign minister said Pakistan will continue to support Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination, adding that the comments made by the Indian Defence Minister about nuclear policy are reflective of the predicament that India finds itself in, after its illegal and unilateral actions imperiling peace and security in the region and beyond.

He said equally condemnable is the completely indefensible lock-down of the entire population in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, that has gone on for two weeks, and continues to deepen the dire humanitarian tragedy as reported by the international human rights organizations and the international media, adding that the world community, including the United Nations Security Council, have taken cognizance of this utterly untenable situation.

Qureshi said: "As for the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Pakistan’s position is based on UN Charter principles and international law and remains unchanged. He said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is to be decided on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolutions and in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people."