Rasheed doesn't see war with India on Kashmir

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Friday expressed the optimism that India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir would get freedom under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief General Qamar Jawed Bajwa.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said the incumbent government took the Kashmir issue to the UN Security Council after 52 years and that Prime Minister Khan will fight the case of the oppressed people of the occupied territory at the upcoming UN General Assembly session on Sept 17.

The minister said it is for the prime minister and army chief to decide whether to wage a war against India or not.

He, however, added he didn’t see the two nuclear-armed countries going to war in the foreseeable future.

Rasheed made it clear that the Pakistan Army is ready to give a benefiting response to India if it resorts to any misadventure.

He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would do the same as [Germany’s Nazi leader Adolf] Hitler, who he said had destroyed his entire army as well as nation.

He said the entire nation stood behind COAS General Qamar Jawed Bajwa.

Slamming Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s planned Islamabad long-march, he said the party was using a religious issue to garner support for its sit-in in federal capital.

A religious card ought not to be used in politics, he opined.

“We have a strong faith in the finality of Prophethood (SAW) and we fought its case in the National Assembly,” he said.