Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani underlined the need to settle the Kashmir dispute through sincere dialogue to allow vast opportunities for the socio-economic development of the region. The Prime Minister was addressing the 43rd session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council here, on Tuesday.
"Pakistan remains committed to finding a just and peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue, in accordance with the UN Security Council's resolutions, as well as with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people," he stated. The Kashmir dispute held the key to durable peace in South Asia, he added.
He said that Pakistan would like to engage in a constructive and purposeful dialogue with India to resolve the issue. And that the government had continued the process of confidence building in Kashmir, as it helped bring relief to Kashmiris, including to the divided families. Pakistan had been constructively engaged with India, under the Composite Dialogue process, in discussing issues related to Jammu and Kashmir, he revealed.
The session was attended by President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Zulqarnain Khan, Prime Minister of AJK Sardar Muhammad Yaqub Khan, Federal Minister for KANA and SAFRON, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and members of the AJK Council.
Pakistan extended political, moral, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, Gilani said. "We firmly believe that, for a durable solution, the Kashmiris should be associated with the dialogue process."
He said that trade across the Line of Control had commenced, and that the CBMs had been guided by the desire to reduce the suffering of the Kashmiris and help create an environment conducive for the settlement of the dispute.
Gilani said that following the Mumbai incident, India had put a pause' on the Composite Dialogue, while Pakistan had stressed the need for its engagement and resumption. "We have stressed upon India that the focus of the efforts of the two countries should remain on countering terrorism, which is the real issue, and not on mutual recrimination," he remarked.
"The people of Kashmir were promised the right to determine their own destiny, embodied in the UN resolutions adopted during the late forties and fifties," he stated. And expressed concern that the solemn commitment remained unfulfilled, perpetuating the sufferings of the Kashmiris. Gilani urged the international community to redeem its promise to the Kashmiri people.
Comments
Comments are closed.