Pak rejects Indian cavil on FM's call

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Wednesday rejected objections raised by India over Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s telephone call to All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC) chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

A day earlier, FM Qureshi briefed the APHC leader on the efforts of Pakistan government to highlight the human rights violations by the Indian army in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan government and emphasised that Indian atrocities shall never be able to suppress the will of the people.

“Kashmir is an unresolved issue between Pakistan and India and acknowledged as such through UN Security Council resolutions, including the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration,” a statement issued by the foreign office said.

“We also categorically reject any insinuation that seeks to project as “terrorism” the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination. This is an outright travesty,” the statement added.

Further on, the foreign office said Pakistan is committed to extending its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of occupied Kashmir. “The leadership in Pakistan has always been communicating with the Kashmiri leadership. This is not anything new.”

It concluded that, “Pakistan will maintain its support and solidarity till the time the Kashmir dispute is resolved peacefully, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of the occupied valley.”