ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday regretted that “bottleneck” Kashmir dispute blocked chances of greater regional cooperation on the handling of coronavirus outbreak.
Addressing a photography and culture exhibition, titled Tribute to Kashmiris, in Islamabad which was attended by foreign diplomats, Qureshi expressed solidarity with the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Qureshi noted the Asian nations “could have cooperated in the region to [better] combat Covid-19 but we didn’t [due to the dispute].”
He said tall Indian claims to bring development in Kashmir by revoking its semi-autonomous status were exposed as the region witnessed the devastation of economy and tourism during the pandemic.
“India’s illegal act of August 5 has resulted into miserable conditions for Kashmiris, who are bearing the severe economic brunt due to communication blockade [in the valley],” he added.
The foreign minister rejected the Indian claim of Kashmir being its integral part, recalling the issue remained on the agenda of the composite dialogue, started between India and Pakistan and 1998, and also of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
He said the situation of human rights in Kashmir needed the immediate attention of the international community.
India, he said, took advantage of the 9/11 attacks and hoodwinked the global community by linking the freedom struggle of the people of Kashmir with terrorism.
He urged the diplomats to visit both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, and meet the local people to assess the situation first-hand.
Qureshi reiterated Islamabad wanted good relations with New Delhi as tensions between the two nations influenced the development of the region in areas of education, health, and security in absence of optimal utilisation of resources.
He said Pakistan was ready to re-engage in dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues including the Kashmir dispute.
In a hostile environment between the two nuclear-armed states, “dialogue was the only sensible preference,” he said.
The foreign minister called upon the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take notice of the persistent Indian reign of terror in Kashmir.
Speaking after Qureshi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Masood Khan said Azad Kashmir besides its serene natural beauty offered a rich cultural heritage with linkages dating back to the tribes of Central Asia.
