‘I will raise my voice for you until the day you get freedom,’ PM Imran Khan tells Kashmiris
Altaf Hamid Rao;
KOTLI, MIRPUR (Parliament Times): Prime Minister Imran Khan has reminded of the international community to fulfill its promise of organizing plebiscite in Kashmir, giving an opportunity to Kashmiris to decide their fate in light of UN resolutions. He was addressing a public rally in Kotli town of Azad Kashmir this afternoon, in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day being observed on Friday. The Prime Minister said that the international community has promised with the people of Kashmiris in 1948 under UN Security Councils’ resolutions that they will be given an opportunity to either join India or Pakistan, which still needs fulfillment.
Imran Khan expressed the hope that the day will come when Kashmiris will choose Pakistan over India and we will give them the right either to remain independent or become part of Pakistan. In his message to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kahmir, the Prime Minister said the entire Pakistan as well as the Muslim world and just people, across the globe, are standing shoulder to shoulder with them in their struggle for right to self-determination. He said that Pakistan is cognizant of the oppression being committed against the people in IIOJK by the Indian forces. Imran Khan said he will continue raising Kashmiris’ voice on all world forums.
The Prime Minister said he, soon after coming to power, sent a message of friendship to Indian leadership to make them understand that the issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved through use of force. He said no army or the superpower can win a war against an entire population. He said India cannot suppress Kashmiris’ voice through the barrel of gun as even the newly born baby in Kashmir opens his eyes with sentiments of freedom in his heart.
He promised Kashmiris that Pakistan will grant them — both the people of Azad Kashmir and occupied Kashmir — the right to be a free state, if they so wish.The prime minister said not only the entire Pakistan nation stands with the oppressed Kashmiris, but the entire Muslim nation. “Even if for whatever reason some Muslim country is not (outwardly) supporting you, I guarantee that the entire Muslim world stands with you.”He further said that even non-Muslim countries, that believe in justice, wish to see Kashmir get its due right which the United Nations had promised.”I also wish to give this message to the people of occupied Kashmir, that we are aware of the acts of oppression and tyranny being carried out against you.
“Parents are told their son has been disappeared or they hear that he is a martyr. Being a father, I wish to say, we all know what you must be going through, the kind of pain you are going through, the tyrants you are facing, and how you are standing strong,” said the prime minister.Speaking of India’s government, he said when the PTI came into power, “I tried my best that we give them a message of peace and explain to them that the Kashmir dispute will not be resolved with your cruelty.””No army can win against a united people. History tells us this. America, a superpower, could not win against Vietnam. They won their freedom. Afghanistan’s history tells us this too. So many superpowers came there but none won against the people,” PM Imran Khan said.
He also cited the example of Algerians against the French.”Even if India brings in an army greater than 900,000, it will be up against an entire population which will never accept to be their slaves,” the premier said, adding that as soon as a child is born in Kashmir “the desire for freedom awakens even in his heart”. “I tell India this today: they can never win now. Not when a people do not even accept you.”He said despite the lockdown in occupied Kashmir since August 5, people’s spirits are not broken and they continue to seek freedom. “No pro-India Kashmir politician can ever win the election there. I can say this in writing,” he added. PM Imran Khan said it confounded him that India is not moving ahead with a dialogue. “After Pulwama they came and martyred our trees in Balakot you know how fond I am of trees. It was very painful that they destroyed those trees. It was then that I knew they do not wish peace or friendship. They used Balakot to win their elections.”He said the Arnab Goswami “revelations showed that this was pre-planned to win elections”. He also spoke of the 600 fake websites unearthed by the EUDisinfolab which were peddling propaganda against PM Imran Khan and the Pakistan Army. “Today their RSS agenda and ideology is plain for everyone to see.”
He said they ended up damaging their own nation. “The country is divided. The RSS ideology has harmed their own selves the most and will continue to.”
“The Muslims are suffering, the farmers are suffering. The minorities are all fearful. Because such an ideology for a while may win you the election but this fascist ideology destroys the fabric of society,” PM Imran Khan said. ‘Ready to speak to you again’ Addressing India, he said: “You are laying the foundation of your ruin like this […] Today, I say to you again. Come resolve this Kashmir dispute with us. And for that, the first thing you must do is to restore Article 370. And then speak to us. And then, as per the United Nations Resolution, give the Kashmiris their due right. “We are ready to speak to you again. But I say this again. Do not mistake our hand of friendship for weakness. This country, Pakistan, belongs to those who bow to no one but God. We do not fear anyone but Him. So do not think we say this with fear.
“We want the people of Kashmir to get their right. We want this oppression to end. We want Kashmiris to decide their own future. It is their human right and democratic right. And for this, all of Pakistan stands with them,” the prime minister said.The prime minister, addressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement, an 11-party Opposition alliance that held a parallel gathering in Muzaffarabad, told them to go ahead with their “long march”, a decision announced yesterday. “Do a long march wherever you want. I will assist you. But even if you hang down upside in protest, I will never grant you (a concession under the National Reconciliation Ordinance),” said the prime minister, to a roaring crowd.