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Pakistan will consult Kashmiris before resuming talks with India
* PM regrets India is not reciprocating Pakistan’s efforts for lasting peace in region * Expresses concern over apathy of UN and international community on Kashmir
APP
MUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that the government has decided to hold consultations with Kashmiri leaders before resuming talks with India.
Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination. Addressing the members of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council, the prime minister said Pakistan always highlighted the Kashmir issue at international fora and demanded international community ensure its just resolution. Nawaz said he always supported the cause of Kashmiris and recalled his bilateral talks with former Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in Lahore in 1999, where he categorically discussed with him the issue of Kashmir. He said unequivocal support to Kashmiris’ right to self-determination was a part of the manifesto of Pakistan Muslim League-N.
He quoted Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had said that “Kashmir is the jugular vein of Pakistan”. He said the hearts of Pakistanis and Kashmiris were tied together with the bonds of religion, culture and similar identity. The prime minister said Pakistan expresses solidarity with Kashmiris on February 5 and October 27 every year and believes that Kashmiri people are being denied their rights. Nawaz said Pakistan strongly rejected India’s propaganda of harbouring terrorists and said Pakistan itself was suffering the brunt of terrorism with a major loss of civilians and militarymen.
Prime Minister Nawaz regretted that India had suspended the foreign-secretary level talks with Pakistan and was not reciprocating positively to Pakistan’s efforts for a lasting peace in the region. He said the government had decided to hold consultations with Kashmiri leaders before resuming talks with India. He expressed concern over the apathy of United Nations and international community on the issue. He said economic prosperity was linked to peace and Pakistan believed that the issue of Kashmir should be resolved through dialogue in accordance with the resolutions of UN Security Council.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk