Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said that Pakistan has committed to support people of Kashmir to settle the decades old imbroglio in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He was addressing the inaugural session of two-day International Kashmir Conference on "Jammu and Kashmir Dispute: Models for Resolution" jointly organised by Institute of Strategic Studies and Kashmir Institute of International Relations.
"Pakistan is committed to continue the peace process with India in a sincere, purposeful and constructive manner for final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute", the Prime Minister said.
Reiterating Pakistan's commitment to resolve the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiris, Shaukat Aziz said that there would not be any compromise on the issue and no solution against the aspirations of Kashmiris would be accepted.
"Durable peace in the region could only be ensured if the Kashmir issue is resolved peacefully in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan appreciates the sacrifices rendered by Kashmiris in their just struggle and it would not accept any solution of Kashmir issue against the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiris," the Prime Minister said.
He said peace could only be ensured by giving the right of self-determination to the Kashmiris and it could also promote peace, progress and prosperity. Pakistan has entered into a dialogue process with India with a firm commitment and a sincere hope that it would result in a just and lasting solution of this dispute, he said.
"Pakistan shall remain steadfast and committed to uphold the sustainable peace in South Asia and the ongoing peace process has generated goodwill and raised the level of expectation of the people of all shades. We must seize the moment and create a bright future for our coming generations, which would provide an historic opportunity to transition from conflict management to conflict resolution by settling the six-decade old Jammu and Kashmir dispute," the Prime Minister said.
Shaukat Aziz said that Kashmiris should and must be involved in the dialogue process adding that Pakistan has involved them in the dialogue process and called upon the Indian government to follow suit. For the last six decades, the people of Kashmir have been denied their inalienable right of self-determination as recognised by the international community in several UN Security Council resolutions, he observed
Earlier, Minister for Kashmir Affairs Major Tahir Iqbal (Retd) said that right of self-determination is the right of the people of Kashmir given to them by the United Nations Security Council. Institute of Strategic Studies chairman Inamul Haq, ISS Director General Dr Shirin Mazari and Shah Ghulam Qadir, president, Kashmir Institute of International Relations also spoke on the occasion.
The conference was attended by delegates from many countries, Kashmiri leaders Professor Abdul Ghani Butt, Yasin Malik, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Zulqarnain Khan, Members of the Kashmir Council, Members of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Members of the Northern Areas Legislative Council.
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