Unequivocal support to Kashmiris’ struggle: AJK President extends gratitude to Azerbaijan

MIRPUR: Azad Jammu Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has expressed his profound gratitude to the people and the government of Azerbaijan for their steadfast support of Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.

In an exclusive interview with Head of Media and Information Literacy Centre of Azerbaijan and Vice Rector of Tele-Radio Academy AZ Television Almaz Mahmood Nasibova at Jammu Kashmir House in the federal metropolis on Sunday, the AJK President expressed the optimism that Azerbaijan will continue to play its role to seek an early and amicable settlement of the lingering dispute in line with Kashmiris’ wishes and aspirations.

Terming India’s imperialistic presence in the region as a threat to peace and stability in the region, Barrister Chaudhry said that India’s illegal and forcible control over the territory poses an existential threat to Kashmiris, who he said have been fighting for the past several decades to achieve their birthright, guaranteed to them under multiple UNSC resolutions.

“The Kashmir issue is one of the unresolved issues pending on the UN agenda,” he said, adding that the lingering dispute has been the bone of contention between Pakistan and India. “The threat of war will continue to loom over South Asia unless the Kashmir dispute is addressed in its historical perspective,” the president remarked. Barrister Chaudhry hailed Azerbaijan for its all-out support to Pakistan during the recent Pakistan-India tensions. He also praised the friendly countries, including the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, for their significant role in diffusing tension in the region and facilitating a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations. He said that India has miserably failed in its attempts aimed at tarnishing Pakistan’s image at an international level under the guise of a false flag operation. He highlighted the Pakistan Army’s significant contribution in defending the country’s territorial sovereignty and delivering a crushing response to India, which he said has compelled the enemy to lick the dust and seek a ceasefire.

He said that the people of Kashmir have welcomed US President Donald Trump’s mediation offer. Describing Kashmiris as the main stakeholders in the Kashmir dispute, the president stressed holding tripartite talks and associating Kashmiri leadership in the decision-making process to find out a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. The recent military standoff between the two countries, he said, has proved it beyond any reasonable doubt that the Kashmir issue is a flashpoint between the two nuclear powers.

“Unless the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions, there can be no guarantee of lasting peace and security in South Asia,” he added. Given the volatile situation in the region, the president said that it was high time that the world community should come forward in a big way and play its much-needed role to help resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully.

Responding to a query, Barrister Chaudhry said that the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir is higher than in the four provinces of Pakistan. He also underscored the Kashmiri women’s role in the development of the society.