No one can dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan: PM

F.P. Report

MUZAFFARABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday, reiterating Pakistan’s principled position and support on the Kashmir issue, categorically said that no one could dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan and that its desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness or hesitation to face any aggression.

“Pakistan is not a war-mongering nation. But if anyone thinks that we are weak, shying away or hesitating, they should remove this misunderstanding. Muzaffarabad is not Gaza and New Delhi is not Tel Aviv…No one can dare to kill 4,000 children here,” he said in an interaction with the students of different colleges and universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir during his two-day visit.

Expressing his confidence in Pakistan’s defence capabilities in the context of the Indian aggression, he said though Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had same attitudes, but they had different implementing capability and response mechanisms. To a question, the prime minister strongly rejected the rumours of any change in Pakistan’s policy to follow suit India to merge the AJK in it, he said, “No one can think of such a stupid act. Nobody can dare.”

He said that the rumours were spread by the enemies to create misunderstandings and that Pakistan had a principled journey with the Kashmiris for decades, backed by the sacrifices of 90,000 people. He said Pakistan had fought three wars with India on Kashmir and was ready to face any kind of aggression.

“Are we fighting the wars to make Kashmir (part of) KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)? This is out of question,” he commented and reiterated Pakistan’s resolve of not budging an inch from its principled position. To a suggestion about a corridor between the AJK and the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), he said India was not allowing the Kashmiris move freely even from their homes in Srinagar, what to talk of traveling to the AJK. It would be possible when the Kashmir question would go to its final settlement.

“We should strive to take the issue to the final settlement,” he added. He said the only solution to the Kashmir dispute was to hold a plebiscite as per the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions. He said during the visit, he held detailed consultations with the AJK parliamentarians across different political parties and Hurriyat leadership, and mulled over how to project and exploit the matter in collaboration with the society and the diaspora.

Coming to the Gaza situation, the prime minister said Pakistan would continue to raising the voice against Israel which was using brutal force against the Palestinians. He said Pakistan had sent a field hospital and doubled its humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. He said the immediate focus should be to achieve ceasefire and establishment of a humanitarian corridor.

“Gaza is close to our hearts… Israel earned nothing but hatred. Israel earned no fame,” he remarked. About the repatriation of foreigners, Prime Minister Kakar reiterated that only the illegal foreigners were being repatriated as they had been posing security challenge for the country. About the brain drain, he reiterated his earlier position of not discouraging it as the diaspora would become an asset in the form of remittances and projecting Pakistan’s image. However, he called for improving education quality and fill the gaps to enhance the number of graduates to fulfill domestic and global supply needs.

Regarding the increasing interest rate, the prime minister said the State Bank, being an autonomous body, determined the interest rate as well as the monetary policy with no government control. However, he said the government remained in contact with the central bank and expressed the hope that the situation would improve with the improvement of economic indicators.

About different education-related issues, including frequent changes of syllabi, quota in educational scholarship and other schemes, salary structure of new doctors and physiotherapists, he assured to take up the matter with the AJK government and relevant departments and playing his role wherever required.

Indian unilateral, illegal acts to further stimulate Kashmir freedom movement: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, calling the recent verdict of the Indian Supreme Court as a tool to consolidate Indian illegal occupation, said such unilateral and illegal decisions would further stimulate the Kashmir freedom movement.

He said despite world powers’ silence over the issue, India could not succeed in its nefarious designs of diminishing the freedom movement and it was trying to resolve the Kashmir issue according to its own agenda. “The movement is not diminishing and this is the biggest problem for India and it was again and again trying to bury it through various tactics,” the prime minister said while addressing a press conference here.

He said more than 90,000 Kashmiris had been killed, over 1500 faced forced disappearances and pellet gun injuries, and thousands of the women suffered rape, while the human rights abuses were also documented in two of the UN reports. “Such painful memories can not be forgotten for centuries,” he remarked. To a question, the prime minister expressing the government of Pakistan’s resolve to support the Kashmiris in their just cause of freedom, said that this movement would continue with new strength, and remain consistent.

The prime minister said during his two-day visit, he held useful and constructive interactions with the Hurriyat leadership, members and cabinet of AJK legislative assembly, students, and journalists to inject new vigour and energy into the Kashmir freedom movement. During the meetings, input from various stakeholders including the Kashmiri leadership would be incorporated to reinvigorate the freedom movement, he said.

To another question, PM Kakar maintained that the unilateral and illegal decisions either by the Indian courts or assemblies would never be accepted and Pakistan rejected such decisions. He said Kashmir’s final settlement must be ensured through a plebiscite in line with the UN resolutions. “Without it no other way is acceptable,” he added. Responding to a query, the prime minister highlighted, “We are advocating for our people, we consider the Kashmiris as future residents of Pakistan”.

On various ongoing and new development projects in AJK, the prime minister said a cabinet committee of the AJK government had been formed to look into these and his government would provide every possible support in this regard.

PM assures financial assistance to AJK government for completion of road network: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said the federal government would extend every possible financial assistance to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for completion of development works in the area.

Chairing a special meeting Azad Jammu and Kashmir cabinet, he stressed that the road network between AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) was crucial to ensure connectivity. PM Kakar said the government would provide assistance on the construction of Shuntar Tunnel connecting AJK and GB, the Murree-Muzaffarabad Expressway, and the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mangla-Mirpur Expressway.

He said the federal government would instruct its ministries to complete the projects relating to AJK on a priority basis. The prime minister also emphasized to benefit from the tourism potential of AJK. PM Kakar said his visit to AJK was aimed at reiterating the stance of the State of Pakistan about the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said India could not escape from its oppressive designs of altering the status of the Valley. Prime Minister of AJK Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq and his cabinet thanked PM Kakar for visiting the AJK in solidarity with Kashmiris after the Indian Supreme Court validated the government’s illegal decision of revoking the special status of J&K.

The AJK prime minister also paid tribute to PM Kakar in his speech in the AJK Legislative Assembly, which he said, effectively represented the voice of Kashmiris. He said the speech was highly appreciated by Kashmiri people, overseas Kashmiris, academia, civil society, and media.