ISLAMABAD – President Azad Kashmir Sardar Muhammad MasoodKhan Saturday said India should refrain from making China Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC) controversial as under international laws, developmentworks could be carried out in disputed territories.

Addressing a press conference accompanied by Member of European and BritishParliament Afzal Khan, he hoped that Kashmir would become the part of CPECvery soon.

He called upon the international community to play its due role against theongoing human rights violations by the Indian forces in Indian occupiedKashmir.

He said the UK was an important member of the United Nations’ SecurityCouncil so it should play a role to resolve the Kashmir issue according tothe UN resolutions.

AJK president said India wanted to create tension by continuously attackinginnocent people at the Line of Control (LoC). “We are thankful to theLabour Party which made Kashmir dispute part of its manifesto.”

He asked the House of Commons to help for resolving the dispute, addingthat Indian government had closed the doors of negotiation and the strugglewould continue till the freedom of Kashmir.

He said compensatory amount for the victims of Indian firing at the LoC wasbeing increased threefold. It had been principally decided to buildconcrete bunkers alongside every home for what allocation had already beenmade.

Masood Khan said Pakistan and India could not considered equal at the LoCbecause India had adopted aggressive policy while Pakistan retaliating theIndian aggression in its defense.“Indian forces have created insurgency at the LoC due to the advent ofelections in India,” he added.

Masood Khan criticized the western powers for keeping mum over the issue ofKashmir for sake of their interests related to trade with India.

He urged the overseas Pakistanis to get united only for progress andprosperity of Pakistan and resolve the Kashmir issue according to theresolution of UN instead of politicizing it.

He said consequent to Indian atrocities at the LoC, Pakistan should notgive up its positive role as targeting innocent civilians could not beallowed.

Masood Khan said the government of Pakistan was playing its role for thesolution of Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of Kashmiris butthere was a dire need to gear up those efforts at diplomatic level.Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Khan said Pakistani government hadconferred on him Sitara-i-Quaid-e-Azam Award which was an honour for him aswell as the overseas Pakistanis.

He said the UK was historic and influential country and it should play itspositive role for the resolution of Kashmir issue as it was anunaccomplished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent.

He said self-determination was basic demand of the Kashmiris that should befulfilled according to their will and that there should be no compromiseover it.

“India should come up for dialogue as it is not an issue of Kashmir,Pakistan or India rather it is the matter of world peace. We should divertour resources towards public instead of purchasing the weapons,” he added.

To a question about the ongoing political situation in Pakistan, Afzal Khansaid the UK was in favour of democracy.For the last 70 year, he said Indian atrocities were increasing day by dayin Kashmir and the matter could not be taken to its logical end.

He said due the current situation in Kashmir whole subcontinent was facedwith the problem.Afzal Khan said after the 9/11, western media also acting against theMuslims with 99 percent of its content focused against Muslims. Even theirresponsible attitude of the political leadership was also the reasonbeing anti-Muslim campaign.

Regarding the distribution of letter to declare the Muslims as terrorists,he said four members of the UK parliament had taken notice of the letterand after that political parties had also condemned the act.Afzal Khan said institutions were working to search out the responsible forthis letter.

To another question regarding the overseas Pakistanis, he said overseasPakistanis should participate in the local politics to become strong andplay their role for strengthening Pakistan and help resolve the Kashmirissue.

“Our hearts beat with Pakistan and the one who desires to do politics ofPakistan should come and play his role while being in the country,” headded. – APP