Bilawal asks govt to lay stress on Kashmir plebiscite – Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD: The president of the Party of Peoples of Pakistan (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, urged on Wednesday the government of Pakistan to put more emphasis on the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir to be exercised through a plebiscite , guaranteed by the resolutions of the United Nations.

Speaking at a press conference at the residence of former Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Abdul Majeed in the city of Mirpur, on the shores of the lake, where he arrived to meet the victims of the earthquake, he said his party would do everything possible to raise a strong voice for this right. of the cashmere in each forum.

"It is the right of each Kashmir to decide its future by its own will. And the only way to do it is a referendum in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations," said Mr. Bhutto-Zardari.

"The point of view of the government is that the prime minister delivered the best speech [at the UNGA]. Maybe it was a good speech. But our position is that our emphasis should have been on that. [Aug 5] historical attack

"Climate change, money laundering […] These are all important issues, but the biggest problem was the imprisonment of the entire population of Kashmir since August 5 and this should have been focused by the prime minister, ”he added.

The PPP leader visits the earthquake survivors in Mirpur

Continuing, he said that the prime minister should have put more emphasis on the plebiscite and the right to self-determination, guaranteed by the UN resolutions, where he was.

He said the Pakistani government should talk about human rights violations and other atrocities in retained Kashmir, but should place more emphasis on the right to self-determination and democratic rights of cashmere.

Previously, the PPP president visited the Division Headquarters Hospital to investigate the health of the earthquake victims, in addition to visiting an affected area to obtain first-hand information about the extent of the devastation and the condition of the survivors.

Responding to a question at the press conference, he demanded that the federal government provide compensation to earthquake victims according to the rest of Pakistan.

“We demand that compensation be given in accordance with damages whose evaluation is not a difficult task. We know that the federal government has enough money. [for the purpose]. "

Earlier, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider phoned the president of the PPP and expressed his gratitude for visiting the area affected by the earthquake, according to a press release.

In response, Bhutto-Zardari told him that he, his party and the Sindh government were ready to extend all possible assistance to earthquake victims.

He said he had asked the Sindh government to cooperate with the AJK government in the rehabilitation and reconstruction program in the affected areas.

Zulfikar vs Imran

Recalling that his grandfather and former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had made 10 foreign tours of Kashmir after taking office, Bhutto-Zardari asked how many trips the current prime minister had made to Kashmir in the past two months.

"The speeches at the UN are delivered every year and every prime minister [of Pakistan] Talk about Kashmir. You too. So what was so extraordinary? What appropriate action has been taken in the wake of the Indian movement, ”he asked the prime minister.

He said that the government's bad intention became evident on the first day of the joint parliament session, when he arrested Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Faryal Talpur and other leaders.

While the people detained in Kashmir wanted the Pakistani leadership to stand side by side with them and prepare to defend their case in all countries, Khan Sahib wanted to conquer the opposition, he said.

"Become an ambassador [of Kashmiris] It doesn't mean just making a speech and a tweet. You have to launch a constant struggle for their movement, rights and right to self-determination, ”he said.

Answering another question, he said that the PPP had planned to carry out political activity through demonstrations and public meetings that have been postponed in view of the earthquake. However, "we will soon hold a mass meeting in Kashmir," he said.

"Dharna Policy"

On Maulana Fazlur Rehman's proposed sitting, Bhutto-Zardari said that since the first day the PPP had been contrary to the tradition of Dharna's politics. However, "we have announced our moral and political support for the protest and the sit-in called by Maulana Fazlur Rehman," he said.

He said he would soon meet with the leader of the JUI-F because he had to offer his condolences to the latter for the recent deadly explosion of the IED that attacked the people of his party in Balochistan.

Posted on Dawn, October 3, 2019