Turkey stands with Pakistan in Kashmir Cause: Turkish Assembly Speaker
Shares
ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (APP): Turkey has reaffirmed its traditional and strong support for the cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir expressing concerns over the unresolved nature of the Kashmir dispute that had negatively impacted peace and stability in the region.
Turkish leadership reiterated its support during interaction with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Special Envoys Muhammad Pervez Malik and Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha who met a cross-section of the Turkish parliamentary leadership, media, civil society and think- tanks, said a press release on Tuesday.
The envoys apprised them of the gross and systematic violations of human rights being perpetrated by the security forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The special envoys called on Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Ismail Kahraman, and briefed him in detail about the atrocities being committed against the defenseless Kashmiri people demanding their legitimate and inalienable right to self-determination.
They highlighted that the death of the young Kashmiri leader, Burhan Wani, had re-ignited an intense phase of the popular uprising in the IOK, also being characterized as the Kashmiri Intifada.
Drawing attention towards the use of arbitrary force, live ammunition and pellet guns by the occupying forces to quell the recent peaceful protests in IOK, the envoys underlined the need for an urgent and meaningful intervention by the international community to bring an end to the brutalization of the Kashmiri people; conduct a fair, independent and transparent inquiry under the UN auspices to hold the perpetrators of these heinous acts responsible.
Above all, the envoys called for a need to ensure the
realization of the right to self-determination of the people of
Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with UN Security Council
resolutions, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The special envoys also briefed the Speaker of the TGNA on the
latest security situation in the region, including escalation of
tensions through highly provocative rhetoric and incessant
violations of the Line of Control (LoC) by the Indian side, in order
to divert international attention from the grave human rights
situation in the IOK.
They thanked Turkey for its principled position on the Jammu
and Kashmir dispute and its consistent support for the Kashmiri
people.
Lauding Turkey's active role in the OIC Contact Group on Jammu
and Kashmir, the envoys underlined the high importance of its
proposal to send an OIC fact finding mission to Jammu and Kashmir.
Extending a warm welcome to the envoys, Speaker Ismail
Kahraman underlined the unique and unprecedentedly cordial
relationship between Pakistan and Turkey and thanked Pakistan and
its people for their strong support and solidarity for Turkey
against the attempted coup of 15 July 2016.
He reiterated support for Pakistan in its fight against
terrorism and underlined that Pakistan and Turkey had always
supported each other on their respective national causes, i.e.
Kashmir and Cyprus.
The TGNA speaker thanked the envoys for the detailed briefing
on the situation in Occupied Kashmir and stated that the recent
developments were being followed closely.
Turkey was concerned at the unresolved nature of the Kashmir
dispute as it negatively impacted peace and stability in the region,
besides undermining prospects for the well-being and development of
its people.
In the current phase, Turkey had called for restraint and use
of peaceful means to resolve the Kashmir dispute and reaffirmed
Turkey's consistent support for a negotiated solution within the
framework of relevant UN resolutions and taking into account the
legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The special envoys met with the Chairman of Pakistan-Turkey
Parliamentary Friendship Group and visited the prominent Turkish
think-tank, Economic and Social Research Center (ESAM) besides
interacting with prominent media outlets.
During these engagements, the special envoys informed their
respective interlocutors that more than 110 innocent Kashmiri
protestors had so far lost their lives, and another 12,000 injured
since 8 July 2016 as a result of unbridled use of force by the
occupying forces. Over 150 - primarily among Kashmiri youth - had
been blinded permanently, while the eyesight of over 700 had been
seriously affected.
They emphasized that Pakistan expected the international
community to fulfill its moral responsibility towards the people of
Occupied Jammu and Kashmir by calling for an immediate end to such
reprehensible actions, and by ensuring that the people of Jammu and
Kashmir exercised their inalienable right to self-determination in
line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
They also called on the media representatives to highlight the
unprecedented brutality of the security forces in IOK, especially
through the use of pellet guns, that had permanently blinded and
crippled a large number of Kashmiris, predominantly women and
children.
The Turkish interlocutors reiterated their grave concern over
the prevailing situation, affirmed their solidarity with the
Kashmiri people during this difficult hour, and reiterated their
commitment to support their cause every where, and at all platforms.
