Parliament to act as new center to push Kashmir discourse: Shehryar Afridi

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi Thursday said that Parliament would act as new center to push Kashmir diplomacy.

He expressed these views while addressing the participants of a seminar titled "Emerging Dynamics of Kashmir Issue: Predicament and Prospects" held under the auspices of Youth Association of Pakistan.

Former High Commissioner Dr Abdul Basit, Dr Maria Sultan, Raja Najabat Hussain and others also addressed.

Out of 220 million Pakistanis, 65 percent are between 14 to 35 years old. This young generation needs to become bloggers and activists to raise Kashmir dispute on the digital space where Indian narrative is prevailing and falsehood is being projected as facts.

He said that parliamentary committee is engaging PTA and other relevant bodies to ensure level playing fields to Pakistani and Kashmiri activists on the digital platforms.

He said that the Kashmiris have refused to budge over their resolve for freedom from Indian subjugation despite spending decades in jails and offering sacrifices.

He said that Kashmiris are offering sacrifices and Pakistanis need to raise our voices for Kashmiris whose voices are being crippled by the Indian Illegal occupational regime of India.

He said the Indian occupational regime was furthering atrocities against the unarmed and peaceful Kashmiris. He said that Indian forces were not only killing the Kashmiris but they were engineering a demographic change by awarding residential status to non Kashmiris.

He said that Pakistan would raise Kashmir dispute at all international forums under a new diplomatic offensive.

He said Kashmir Committee was working to preserve and project Kashmiri culture as Indian regime was destroying Kashmiri culture and heritage under its genocide plan.

He said that youth of Pakistan needs to fight for the cause of Kashmir on digital front to give befitting response to Indian keyboard warriors dedicated to manipulate global opinion on Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK).

He urged the youth to become bloggers and Vloggers and put gadgets to use for national cause.

He said that only people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir together can keep the issue of IIOJK alive on global canvas. He said that we shall not let the world forget miseries Kashmiris are going through.