Washington: The former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and president Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Kashmir chapter Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chudhary has said that Kashmiris settled in United States would observe Candle Light Vigil for Kashmir on 21 May to seek international community’s attention towards the miseries being inflicted upon the people of occupied Kashmir by Indian forces.
The PTI president made these assertions while addressing a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. Renowned Kashmiri scholar and rights activist Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai was present on the occasion. Barrister Chudhary said that the candle light vigil in front of White House was observed to express solidarity with the people of Indian occupied Kashmir who he said were terribly suffering at the hands of Indian brute forces. He said that besides sensitizing the world community the event was being organized to press the US administration to take effective cognizance of worsening political and human rights situation in the UN recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir so as to put an immediate end to rights violations in the region.
Referring to US Ambassador Nikki Helli’s recent remarks on Kashmir the PTI president said that the American ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley too had made an offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir. He said that keeping in view the prevailing volatile situation in the region it was incumbent upon the US administration to discharge its moral responsibilities to ensure durable peace in the region by facilitating settlement of the long drawn conflict that has assumed dangerous dimensions with the possibility of nuclear confrontation between the two neighbors.
Earlier speaking at a meeting of Pakistani American Congress (an umbrella entity of Pakistani Associations of North America) the PTI president said that after concluding its hearing the PAC should debate over the current situation in Indian held Kashmir and see as how India was suppressing innocent unarmed civilians in Kashmir by using its military might. Dr, Ghulam Nabi Fai the secretary general of World Kashmir Awareness Forum on the occasion appreciated the role of PTI leader for raising Kashmir issue at International level.
Meanwhile, the PTI president held extensive discussions with American State Department officials including Lisa Buzenas and briefed them about the present political and human rights situation in IHK.
It may be recalled here that candle light vigil for Kashmir event has been organized by Kashmiri Diaspora community settled in different status of America including Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Professor (Dr.) Imtiaz Khan, Sardar Zarif Khan, Sardar Zulfiqar Khan and others.