Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday said that Pakistan wants good neighbourly relations with India and desires to resolve all the outstanding issues, top of which is the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Speaking at a seminar here at the National Press Club, Qureshi insisted that stalemate in Pakistan-India relations will not end until Kashmir issue is resolved.
"India is making failed attempts to describe the freedom struggle of Kashmiri people as terrorism," he said, adding that the Indian forces have been committing worst human rights violations in the occupied valley for the last 70 years.
He said that Kashmiri people have rejected the illegal Indian occupation, adding that the international community is aware of the Indian atrocities in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
"The Jammu and Kashmir has never been part of India. The word "K" in Pakistan represents Kashmir," he said, adding that the division of Untied India was done on religious grounds and 80 percent population of Kashmir comprises of Muslims.
He pointed out that despite differences on many other issues, the entire political leadership and people of the country have the same stance on Kashmir issue. "We are and will remain united on Kashmir issue," he insisted.
The foreign minister said Kashmir has been the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy and the country has been befittingly highlighting the issue at all international fora, including the United Nations. He said that the government will continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir at every forum.
In the recent UN General Assembly session in New York, he said that the present government represented the sentiments of the people of Pakistan by effectively raising the issue of Kashmir as well as apprising the international community of the blatant human rights violations by Indian forces in the occupied valley.
He pointed out that the presence of 700,000 Indian troops in occupied Kashmir, draconian laws in the held territory and special status of occupied Kashmir in India's constitution prove that India's stance on Kashmir is wrong.
He said the Indian forces have been committing worst human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and urged the international community to play its vital role to stop the Indian atrocities against the defenceless Kashmiri people.