Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Terming Pakistan as a citadel for the Muslims of South Asia and the entire Islamic Ummah, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Ahmed Khan has said that a strong Pakistan is a guarantor for the success of the Kashmir freedom movement.
The AJK president made these remarks while addressing a gathering, which was organized by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as AJK Council and G-B Council to celebrate Pakistan’s 70thanniversary of independence.
At the event, organized at the Kashmir House, Ch. Barjees Tahir, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, gave away awards to high achievers of Azad Kashmir and GB.
Speaking on the occasion, Sardar Masood Khan said that while celebrating freedom of Pakistan’s and Azad Kashmir, the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir were bleeding because 70 years onwards the Indian occupied Kashmir has not been able to liberate itself from the tyrannical Indian occupation and exercise of right to self-determination.
“Liberation of the Indian Occupied Kashmir is a historical imperative and obligation for the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as our Diaspora community because Pakistan is incomplete as a state without Kashmirâ€, he said.
Sardar Masood Khan demanded that India withdraw its troops from IOK and relocate them in the Indian Territory. “The IOK doesn’t belong to India and its writ and actions in that territory are illegitimate and illegalâ€, he said.
The AJK President also urged the international community to discard its double standards, stop appeasement of India and hold it accountable for its massive human rights violations in IOK.
The President said that in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, concrete efforts were being made to stimulate economic development, particularly in the sectors of infrastructure development, energy projects, quality education, universal access to health and promotion of tourism. “The AJK is on the cusp of an economic revolutionâ€, he said and thanked the federal government for its contribution to the development budget of Azad Kashmir. “The development budget has been doubled and this would have direct impact on the pace of economic progress in Azad Kashmirâ€, he said.