‘Pakistan should play more meaningful role on Kashmir’

ISLAMABAD - The “freedom struggle in occupied Kashmir” is fast reaching its objective and it is time Pakistan intervenes more forcefully and initiates a global diplomatic and media campaign to expose the Indian “barbarity and oppression”, a Pakistani newspaper said Sunday.

“The freedom movement in occupied Kashmir has reached its final stage. It is time Pakistan helps the oppressed Kashmiri people with diplomatic and moral support as well as guidance. Kashmir is the ’shah-e-rag’ (jugular vein) of Pakistan and it is the time and it is liberated,” an editorial in the Nawa-i-Waqt said.

It said while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had made some “stuttering” and “half-hearted” statements in support of the Kashmiri people, these were “not enough” and in light of the current happenings in the Kashmir Valley where over 100 people had been killed in the last three months. “The need of the hour is to speak out forcefully.”

“And not only the foreign minister, the salaried employees of the foreign ministry should be forthcoming on the issue. The president and the prime minister must also speak out in support of the Kashmiris and not only in the country and Kashmir but also globally. High commissioners and ambassadors must also be tasked with briefing the international media with the true state of affairs,” the editorial said.

It said full use must be made of platforms such as the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). “The OIC secretary general made a general statement of support for the Kashmiri people but it was weak and did not have much effect.”

The editorial also attacked the chairman of the Pakistani National Assembly’s Kashmir Committee Maulana Fazlur Rehman, wondering what had happened to make him neglect the sufferings of the Kashmiris. Without naming him, it said if he did not feel anything untoward was happening, he should be replaced with someone more in tune with the aspirations of the Kashmiri and the Pakistani people.