India cannot succeed in its nefarious designs: Kakar

MUZAFFARABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday, calling the recent verdict of the Indian Supreme Court as a tool to consolidate Indian illegal occupation, said such unilateral and illegal decisions would further stimulate the Kashmir freedom movement.

He said despite world powers’ silence over the issue, India could not succeed in its nefarious designs of diminishing the freedom movement and it was trying to resolve the Kashmir issue according to its own agenda.

“The movement is not diminishing and this is the biggest problem for India and it was again and again trying to bury it through various tactics,” the prime minister said while addressing a press conference here, the official news agency reported.

He said more than 90,000 Kashmiris had been killed, over 1,500 faced forced disappearances and pellet gun injuries, and thousands of the women suffered rape, while the human rights abuses were also documented in two of the UN reports. “Such painful memories cannot be forgotten for centuries,” he remarked.

To a question, the prime minister – expressing the Government of Pakistan’s resolve to support the Kashmiris in their just cause of freedom – said that this movement would continue with new strength, and remain consistent.

The prime minister said during his two-day visit, he held useful and constructive interactions with the Hurriyat leadership, members and cabinet of AJK Legislative Assembly, students, and journalists to inject new vigour and energy into the Kashmir freedom movement.

During the meetings, input from various stakeholders including the Kashmiri leadership would be incorporated to reinvigorate the freedom movement, he said.

To another question, PM Kakar maintained that the unilateral and illegal decisions either by the Indian courts or assemblies would never be accepted and Pakistan rejected such decisions.

He said Kashmir’s final settlement must be ensured through a plebiscite in line with the UN resolutions. “Without it, no other way is acceptable,” he added.

Responding to a query, the prime minister highlighted, “We are advocating for our people, we consider the Kashmiris as future residents of Pakistan”.

On various ongoing and new development projects in AJK, the prime minister said a cabinet committee of the AJK government had been formed to look into these and his government would provide every possible support in this regard.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kakar on Friday said the federal government would extend every possible financial assistance to Azad Jammu and Kashmir for completion of development work in the area.

Chairing a special meeting of the cabinet of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he stressed that the road network between AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) was crucial to ensure connectivity.

PM Kakar said the government would provide assistance on the construction of Shuntar Tunnel connecting AJK and GB, the Murree-Muzaffarabad Expressway, and the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mangla-Mirpur Expressway.

He said the federal government would instruct its ministries to complete the projects relating to AJK on a priority basis.

The prime minister also emphasised benefiting from the tourism potential of AJK.

AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq and his cabinet thanked PM Kakar for visiting the AJK in solidarity with Kashmiris.

The AJK prime minister also paid tribute to PM Kakar for his speech in the AJK Legislative Assembly, which he said, effectively represented the voice of Kashmiris.

He said the speech was highly appreciated by the Kashmiri people, overseas Kashmiris, academia, civil society, and media.