Kashmiris mark ‘Accession to Pakistan Day’ amid renewed calls for right to self-determination

July 19, 2024 08:17

Kashmiris mark ‘Accession to Pakistan Day’ amid renewed calls for right to self-determination

Muslim-majority Himalayan region has been a flashpoint between arch-rivals Pakistan and India since independence in 1947
Both countries rule parts of the Himalayan territory but claim it in full and have fought two out of three wars over the disputed region

Updated 19 July 2024

July 19, 2024 08:17

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiris in parts of the world are observing the “Accession to Pakistan Day” today, Friday, with a renewed pledge to continue struggle for their right to self-determination, Pakistani state media reported.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries rule parts of the Himalayan territory but claim it in full and have fought two out of three wars over the disputed region.

On July 19, 1947, Kashmiri representatives had unanimously passed the resolution of Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan during a meeting of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in Srinagar. The resolution called for the accession in view of aspirations of Kashmir people and their religious, geographical, cultural and economic proximity to Pakistan.

The Accession to Pakistan Day is observed by Kashmiris every year to renew their pledge to complete the merger. The Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) government has announced a public holiday on the occasion to facilitate the masses to participate in the special programs.

“Wide-scale programs have been chalked out to observe the day throughout Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK),” Pakistani state-run APP news agency reported.

Pakistan calls for the right of self-determination for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir and urged New Delhi to hold a plebiscite in line with the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The day is being observed at a time when the part of the territory administered by New Delhi has been witnessing an uptick in violence.

Four Indian soldiers were killed and at least six others were wounded in gunbattles with militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, a senior police officer said this month. Prior to that, two soldiers and six suspected militants were killed in two separate gunbattles in the Kulgam district, police said.

Separatist groups have waged an insurgency since 1989, demanding independence for the territory or its merger with Pakistan. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels. India accuses Pakistan of supporting the separatists, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Topics: Kashmir Accession to Pakistan Day

Power cut halts ex-PM Khan’s party rally in Lahore calling for his release from prison

Updated 46 sec ago

September 21, 2024 17:57

Power cut halts ex-PM Khan’s party rally in Lahore calling for his release from prison

The electricity supply to the venue was cut as KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur was on his way to address the gathering
The PTI leadership had agreed to organize the rally between the designated time of 3-6pm at Lahore’s outskirts

Updated 46 sec ago

September 21, 2024 17:57

LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in Lahore abruptly ended after authorities cut the electricity supply shortly after the 6pm deadline, causing many supporters to leave amid heavy police presence in the area.
After days of uncertainty, the Lahore administration on Friday evening allowed the PTI to hold the rally from 3-6pm in the Kahna area of the city, subject to compliance with 43 conditions, including that supporters would not cause unrest or chant anti-state slogans.
Thousands of people arrived in the city from different parts of Pakistan to attend the rally and demand the release of the ex-premier who has been in prison on multiple charges for over a year as the administration of Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital, asked organizers to strictly end the gathering by 6pm as agreed.
“The timeline [of the rally] was from 3pm to 6pm and we gave the PTI till 7pm [to wind up the gathering],” said a district administration official on condition of anonymity when asked about the power cut.
The authorities came into action as Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, who is also Khan’s close aide, had reached the city and was on his way to the venue.
The KP administration’s spokesperson, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, said the Punjab government had blocked all the roads leading to the venue.

Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party en route to venue to attend party rally to demand ex-PM Imran Khan’s release from prison, in Lahore on September 21, 2024. (Photo courtesy: X/@ahmad__bobak)

“The fear of the Punjab government is proof of the rally’s success,” he said, dismissing the “excuse” that the rally’s time was over.
“The closure of roads around the rally’s venue is a glaring proof of the Punjab government’s failure,” he added.
However, Azma Bokhari, the Punjab provincial information minister, denied the closure of roads during a news conference shortly before the 6pm deadline ended.
She maintained the PTI leadership had failed to mobilize people, saying there was only a small number of them at the venue.
“A total of 3,000 people from Punjab have joined the rally,” she claimed. “I can say it categorically that the PTI has been eliminated from Punjab.”

Earlier, television footage showed caravans of Khan supporters arriving in Lahore from various cities in KP, where the PTI has been in power, and elsewhere in Punjab to attend the rally, with long queues of vehicles forming on sections of the Islamabad-Lahore motorway reportedly due to road closures.
Most of Lahore remained open for traffic but access to a main thoroughfare, the Ring Road, leading to the venue, was blocked at a few locations as preparations were ongoing for the rally.
“Our demands are simple, only that the rule of law applies to Imran Khan’s cases,” Salman Akram Raja, PTI secretary-general, told Arab News at the venue of the rally. “Most [of the cases] have been discarded, so will the rest, as will the arrest.”
“There’s no basis for detaining the most popular political leader in the country,” he continued, adding: “History is on our side.”
Prior to that, the Punjab provincial administration warned PTI leaders and workers not to indulge in any lawlessness.
“Nobody will be allowed to [violate the law],” Minister Bokhari said at a presser Saturday afternoon. “Organizers are responsible of ending the rally by 6pm.”
She criticized the Khan-backed KP government for allegedly utilizing public resources for the rally and said the gathering could not help get him out of prison. She signaled to the possible arrest of suspects wanted in cases related to violence during PTI protests in May last year.
“The Punjab administration, under the supervision of the chief minister, is fully monitoring everything in the city and the province from the beginning of this rally till it disperses,” the minister said.
Only a day earlier, the PTI complained of a crackdown on supporters ahead of the rally, saying authorities had arrested dozens of PTI members and supporters. Punjab Police Director of Public Relations Syed Mubashar Hussain declined to comment on the arrests.

Topics: Lahore Rally Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party Imran Khan

Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin

Updated 39 min 1 sec ago

September 21, 2024 17:20

Police constable in Pakistan’s capital adopts newborn baby girl abandoned in garbage bin

Police say the infant is in good health and the constable has initiated the legal requirements for adoption
Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned Pakistani children are without shelter, as per SOS orphanage

Updated 39 min 1 sec ago

September 21, 2024 17:20

ISLAMABAD: A constable of Islamabad Police has adopted a newborn baby girl who was found abandoned inside a red paper bag in a garbage bin on the outskirts of the federal capital, an official said on Saturday.
Dozens of newborn baby girls are abandoned annually at hospitals or dumped in garbage heaps across Pakistan due to poverty, the desire for a son or births out of wedlock.
Over 4.2 million abandoned and orphaned children are estimated to be without shelter in Pakistan, according to the SOS orphanage. Abandoned children left without care become victims of homelessness, exploitation and physical or sexual abuse.
Police officials in Islamabad were alerted on Friday by locals in the Chatha Bakhtawar area of the city to an infant found abandoned in a garbage dump inside a bag.
“One of our constables, Muhammad Asif, has adopted the girl, and she is in good health now,” Taqi Jawad, Islamabad police spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said a police team reached the spot immediately to rescue the baby following a call from local residents.
“The baby was immediately moved to a public hospital for a medical checkup where she was declared sound and healthy,” he said.
“One of the team members who rescued the infant is issueless,” he added. “So, he has adopted the girl.”
Jawad said the legal process for the adoption of the child was underway, and the documentation was getting completed.
The police spokesperson said the constable had applied for the guardianship of the child with the deputy commissioner’s office to fulfill the legal requirements for adoption.

Topics: islamabad police

Pakistan PM departs for General Assembly session to highlight Palestine, other world issues

Updated 21 September 2024

September 21, 2024 16:18

Pakistan PM departs for General Assembly session to highlight Palestine, other world issues

Shehbaz Sharif will attend a meeting on rising sea levels and participate in an open Security Council debate
He was expected to be accompanied by Deputy PM Dar, who is now staying back due to other engagements

Updated 21 September 2024

September 21, 2024 16:18

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday departed the country to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where he is scheduled to arrive on September 23 and stay until September 27.
The UNGA holds annual sessions, bringing together world leaders to discuss pressing global concerns.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, Sharif will use this platform to stress the need for addressing long-standing issues on the Security Council’s agenda, particularly the question of Palestine and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remain central to international and South Asian peace and stability.
“Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly,” the prime minister announced in a social media post on X. “Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements.”
“During our interactions we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development & climate action,” he added. “Will present Pakistan’s perspective to the world, advocate our interests & strengthen international partnerships.”

Departing for New York to represent Pakistan at the 79th UN General Assembly. Looking forward to a busy week full of engagements. During our interactions we will take up global issues, promoting peace, development & climate action.Will present Pakistan's perspective to the world,…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 21, 2024

According to local media, Sharif will first arrive in the United Kingdom, where he will have a brief stay before departing for New York.
He is scheduled to attend several important meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA session, including one on the existential threat posed by rising sea levels and the UN Security Council’s open debate on leadership for peace.
His program also includes bilateral meetings with world leaders and members of the Pakistani diaspora.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a brief statement that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who was previously expected to accompany Sharif, will not participate in the UNGA session.
“In view of some important upcoming diplomatic engagements and the ongoing preparations for the 23rd Meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar will not proceed to New York for the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly,” Baloch said in a statement.
“Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif’s program for participation in the UNGA Session remains unchanged,” she added.

Topics: Pakistan at UN Pakistan at UNGA War on Gaza Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

On World Peace Day, Pakistan PM calls for resolution of Kashmir and Palestine disputes

Updated 21 September 2024

September 21, 2024 14:09

On World Peace Day, Pakistan PM calls for resolution of Kashmir and Palestine disputes

Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence, but both countries claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety
Islamabad also does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on ‘internationally agreed parameters’

Updated 21 September 2024

September 21, 2024 14:09

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for the resolution of the Kashmir and Palestine disputes, Sharif’s office said on Saturday, as the world marked the International Day of Peace.
Since 1982, the International Day of Peace, a United Nations-sanctioned holiday also known as World Peace Day, is observed annually on September 21 and is dedicated to world peace, specifically the absence of war and violence.
Kashmir has been divided between Pakistan and India since their independence from the British rule in 1947, but both countries claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety and have fought multiple wars over the region.
In his statement, Sharif said the Pakistani government and the people joined the global community on the International Day of Peace to reflect on their shared values of tolerance, compassion and co-operation for a peaceful world, free of war and conflict.
“Pakistan strongly believes in fostering peace and stability in the region through dialogue. To effectively achieve this end, it is essential to resolve the longstanding disputes” he said.
“The foundation for any lasting resolution in the region thus, hinges solely on one critical factor: achieving a fair and just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute peacefully through an impartial plebiscite and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.”
Sharif said his country recognized the importance of fostering dialogue and understanding among diverse communities in a world often marked by conflict and divisions.
“As we contemplate the significance of peace, we must not overlook the plight of the innocent people of Palestine, who are courageously facing state aggression,” he said. “For lasting peace in the Middle East, peaceful resolution of the dispute according to the UN resolutions and aspirations of the Palestinians is need of the hour.”
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October last year, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue at the UN and demanded international powers and multilateral bodies stop Israeli military actions.
Sharif said his country recognized the critical importance of promoting a more peaceful and inclusive world for everyone and was ready to working with the global community toward this end. “It is only by working together now that we can build a peaceful tomorrow for our future generations,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan India KASHMIR ISSUE World Peace Day

Thousands attend Lahore rally to demand Imran Khan’s release from prison

Updated 33 min 47 sec ago

September 21, 2024 13:24

Thousands attend Lahore rally to demand Imran Khan’s release from prison

TV footage showed caravans of Khan supporters leaving various cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for Lahore
Khan’s party shared footage of long queues of vehicles on Islamabad-Lahore motorway reportedly due to road closures

Updated 33 min 47 sec ago