Feb 07 , 2016
News
Kashmir Day marked in Chicago : Speakers call for UN-supervised plebiscite in Kashmir
APPCHICAGO: Speakers at a large gathering of Pakistani and Kashmiri community members in Chicago on Friday fervently called for an equitable settlement of the decades old Kashmir dispute on the basis of United Nations (UN) resolutions that call for a plebiscite for the Kashmiri people to decide their future.
The gathering marked the Kashmir Solidarity Day which was held to commemorate the struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right of self-determination and to remember the countless sacrifices of those who had laid down their lives in the quest to attain their inalienable right to freedom.
While speaking on the occasion, Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago (USA) Faisal Niaz Tirmizi reaffirmed Pakistan’s moral, political and diplomatic support for a just and peaceful solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiris.
Tirmizi emphasised the need to end violence and human right abuses in Indian-held Kashmir.
The consul general said that the people of Kashmir will never allow Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attempts to revoke article 370 which gives special status to Kashmir.
He said that India also tried to remove the Kashmir issue from the comprehensive dialogue mechanism but again failed to convince the Pakistani leadership.
He assured the members of the Kashmiri community in Midwest that the government of Pakistan stands united with Kashmiri brothers and sisters in every step of the way in their valiant struggle for self-determination.
The consul general also underscored the fact that the peaceful resolution of the dispute is the sine qua non for regional stability and that the world must take pragmatic steps towards its resolution. Northwestern University’s Neurologist and Professor Dr Tipu Siddiqu was the keynote speaker on the occasion. He spoke about the just struggle of Kashmiris for the last 67 years and said that their struggle would not go in vain.
Other speakers on the occasion included University of Chicago Pakistan Club President Rizwan Kadir, Middle East Institute Washington Research Associate Abdullah Khurram and community activist and Voice for Peace, Education and Prosperity Founder Naila Usmani.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk