News
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
NO peace in region until resolution of Kashmir issue: PM* Gilani urges world to come forward to resolve the dispute
* Inaugurates development projects in AJK
MUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Monday that regional peace cannot be guaranteed until the resolution of Kashmir issue, urging the world’s peace loving nations to come forward to resolve the issue that has jeopardised the peace efforts in the region.
“Unless this core issue is resolved, the dream of peace and harmony in the region cannot come true,” said the prime minister after inaugurating a two-day national conference on Kashmir, organised by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir University.
The premier highlighted the need for acknowledging Kashmiris’ rights to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations resolutions. He said that no significant development could take place in South Asia unless the resolution of this core issue.
Gilani also favoured for continuing the dialogue between Pakistan and India for the resolution of Kashmir issue. He said the solution of Kashmir issue lied in realising the fact that it had very badly affected the overall socio-economic development of both India and Pakistan besides adding miseries in the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the people of the subcontinent had suffered a lot, particularly the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as they had been deprived of their basic human rights, including internationally promised inalienable, unfettered and unconditional right to self-determination.
He said Kashmiris around the world were clamouring for justice and sacrificing their lives for their legitimate and basic right of self-determination promised to them by the international community through UN resolutions. He said it was now widely recognised that Kashmir held the key to restoring peace and socio-economic development in the region.
The prime minister inaugurated a series of development projects for Azad Kashmir’s different cities, in education and infrastructure sectors. Gilani, who arrived here on a day-long visit, inaugurated the Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot campuses of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir University. He also inaugurated 25 model schools that have been constructed at a cost of Rs 340.5 million.
The government, said Gilani, was striving to provide quality education to the people and bring improvement in their lives. He also said the government was considering on revamping the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA).
He also said that the disaster risk management programme had been completed in all nine districts of Azad Kasmir while a programme for medical rehabilitation of over 40,000 persons with disabilities had been completed and institutional arrangements were put into place to look after these people. He mentioned the completion of over 4,000 water and sanitation schemes with electricity and telecommunication fully restored, and 40 new bridges been constructed.
Gilani said on the whole, 6,848 infrastructure projects had been completed while 4,100 were under construction while some 2,000 were being processed.
AJK Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan, AJK President Raja Zulqarnanin and Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Mian Manzoor Wattoo were also present on the occasion. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk