Javed Iqbal
Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Ameer-e-Jamate Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir Dr. Khalid Mehmood Khan has said that there was a dire need that all the political parties should put their heads together and evolve a joint strategy to highlight Kashmir cause effectively at international level.
The JI chief said this while talking to editors of AJK based news papers here on Monday. Highlighting different dimensions of Kashmir dispute Dr. Khalid said that day was not far when supreme sacrifices of the people of Kashmir will bear fruits. “Youth of Kashmir have created a history of courage and bravery by sacrificing their lives”, he said adding that the young Kashmiri boys and girls wearing school uniforms have been fighting for their rights with a bag in one hand and a stone in the other.
Commenting on the prevailing political situation in the liberated territory (AJK) JI Chief said that the federal government must show magnanimity in the disbursement of water usage and water royalty funds to the government of Azad Kashmir. “The way other provinces are given their rights the AJK government should be paid back with same coin”, he said adding that it was quite unfortunate that so far Pakistan could not establish even a single scheduled bank in AJK, whereas, a sizable number of Kashmiris settled abroad have been sending their money through scheduled banks based in Pakistan. “The foreign remittances by the local expats’ community have been playing a vital role in strengthening Pakistan’s economy”, he said adding that justice was not done with the people of AJK.
Referring to his party’s struggle he said that the JI-AJK would continue its struggling to make liberated territory a vibrant state where there is supremacy of constitution and rule of law. He said that the JI has always struggled against unjust system that has rendered the entire system redundant.
Replying to queries put forth by editors he said Kashmiris launched an armed struggle against India with a view to seek their inalienable right the right to self-determination. In view of the changing world scenario he said that armed struggle has now been put on back burner as a part of long-term strategy. He lauded the editors of AJK based news papers for working painstakingly to bring state based news dailies at par with National dailies. “It speaks volumes about the professional commitment and untiring struggle of editors as well as the owners of News Papers”, he added.
Of those who were present on the occasion included Chief editor Daily Kashmir Express and former president AKNS Sardar Zahid Tabassum, Chief Editor Daily Parliament Times and Deputy Secretary General AKNS Javed Iqbal, Group editor Daily Jammu Kashmir Raja Kafeel Khan, Editor Kashmir Times Arshad Sani, Editor Sada-e-Chinar Ejaz Abbasi, whereas senior journalists including Nisar Kiani, Umer Farooq, Ali Shair, Bashir Usmani and others were present on the occasion.