MIRPUR: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has said that concerted efforts were required to foil India’s nefarious designs in the region.
Addressing an Iftar dinner in Mirpur, the AJK president said that the public liaison drive that has been formally launched from Mirpur was aimed at exposing the atrocities being committed by the Indian occupation forces against Kashmiris in the IIOJ&K and highlighting the Kashmir cause at the international forums.
He said that Indian PM Modi was trying to use Kashmir as a trump card to ensure his party’s win in the upcoming general elections.
Referring to the deteriorating situation in the IIOJ&K, Barrister Chaudhry said that under the incumbent circumstances, it was the responsibility of every Kashmiri to play his role to make the Kashmir’s ongoing freedom movement a success.
The AJK president said that he has no issues with anyone. “Earlier, I had united all the political leadership of the state on one platform for the Kashmir cause,” he said, adding that he wanted all the political parties to join hands and work together to advance the Kashmir cause.
He further said that after the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government, the role and responsibilities of the Kashmiris on this side of the Line of Control (LoC) have increased manifold.
He said that there has been an immense increase in the incidents of violence in the restive region. Modi’s fascist government, he said, has applied all means of oppression and brutality to suppress the spirit of Kashmiri people. “But despite using its repressive state apparatus, India has miserably failed to crush the Kashmiris’ passion and their urge for freedom of their motherland,” he added.
He stated that every Kashmiri has a national responsibility to contribute to the liberation struggle’s success. Acknowledging the support he received from the people, Chaudhry highlighted his efforts to make Azad Jammu Kashmir a true base camp for the freedom movement.
He mentioned his international visits where he raised awareness about the deteriorating political and human rights situation in Occupied Kashmir.
Chaudhry referenced recent high-profile engagements, including a news conference with American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and a visit by the British High Commissioner to Mirpur, as part of his campaign to garner international support for the Kashmiri cause.
Expressing gratitude to the people of Khari, Chaudhry promised to prioritize solving issues in the Khari Sharif constituency, including making it a Tehsil.
He mentioned ongoing development projects, including road construction, and announced a grant of three and a half crore rupees for education and health initiatives, approved by AJK Minister Chaudhry Arshad Hussain.
The Iftar dinner also saw addresses from Minister for Energy and Water Resources Chaudhry Arshad Hussain, Minister for Physical Planning and Housing Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, Chairman District Council Raja Navid Akhtar Goga, and others.
