India stands exposed to world on oppression in Kashmir: Shah Mehmood

• Kashmir issue to be resolved as per UN Security Council resolutions
• 50 British Parliamentarians, 27 US Congressmen supporting the cause of Kashmiris
• Kashmiri are the victims of human rights violations
• Human rights organizations have condemned Indian aggression in IOK

LAHORE: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday said that  Kashmiris' struggle against Indian occupation has entered a  new phase as Pakistan government aroused world conscience  on decades-old litany of Indian oppression.

Addressing All Parties Conference on Kashmir under the auspices of PTI Punjab, he said the United Nations' (UN)  Security Council took up the issue in its special session.

He said the UN Secretary General had said that the  Kashmir issue was to be resolved as per UN Security  Council Resolutions, adding it was a great success of  PTI government on the diplomatic front.

He said August 5, 2019 was a critical moment in the history of Kashmir when India illegally annexed the  state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Foreign Minister urged the participants of the  conference to formulate future road-map for highlighting  Kashmir issue and paving the way for its freedom.

Qureshi said realizing importance of the situation,  Prime Minister Imran Khan summoned joint session  of the Parliament to discuss Kashmir issue in order  to develop consensus among all political parties,  despite political differences. It was unanimously  decided to internationalize the issue, he added.

Qureshi said India did its utmost to link Kashmiris  struggle with terrorism, adding it even tried to block  UN Security Council's session but failed. "India is  divided on Kashmir as voices have been raised  within India for the rights of the downtrodden  Kashmiri people", he stated.

He urged the Indian Supreme Court to allow  access to foreign media to Indian Occupied Kashmir  (IOK), saying that apex court's verdict to allow Indian  Opposition Leader access to IOK was monumental  and negation of the Modi's hegemonistic designs.

The Foreign Minister, in his presidential address,  said Kashmir issue got a new life when Pakistan  raised it at the UN, pointing out it was after 54  years that the issue was discussed at the UN  Security Council.

He said it was due to efforts of the government that  Independence Day of Pakistan was observed as Kashmir  Solidarity Day while the 15th August (Indian Republic Day)  was observed as Black Day across the globe.

He lauded the world powers for showing flexibility and allowing the Kashmir issue to be discussed at the  Security Council.

FM Qureshi said the government had mobilized Pakistani and Kashmiri Diaspora as well, adding these communities abroad had staged huge protests against the Indian occupation across the world.

He said it was due to the diplomacy of the PTI government  that more than 50 British Parliamentarians, besides 27 US  Congressmen were supporting the cause of Kashmiris today.

About government's achievements on the diplomatic front  to muster international support on Kashmir issue, he said  mobilizing Organization of Islamic Cooperation  (OIC) on the  Kashmir issue was a challenging task, adding OIC was  formed in the wake of Palestine debacle.

FM Qureshi said the Kashmiri people were victims of the worst human rights violations and deprived of their rights to worship, social life and freedom of movement, adding protest rallies were fired at in IOK. He said all human rights organizations have condemned Indian aggression in IOK.

He said the world has rejected Indian claim that Kashmir was its internal matter and not an international issue, adding that it was for the first time in the history of European Union (EU) parliament that Kashmir issue was being discussed.

The FM said the UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet had also endorsed Pakistan's stance on Kashmir.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi challenged Indian PM Narendra Modi to hold a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to validate claims of his decision of annexation of Jammu and Kashmir as per wishes of people.

Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, PTI Central Punjab President Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, former Foreign Minister khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and President AJK Sardar Masood  Ahmed Khan also addressed the conference.