( Qurat ul ain Ali Khawaja)
*ISLAMABAD:* Senior Kashmiri leadership and overseas representatives have stressed that the Kashmir issue must remain a top national priority and that a united and economically strong Pakistan is essential for effective advocacy of the right to self-determination.
The views were shared at a reception in Islamabad hosted by APHC senior leader and JKSM Chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat to honour overseas Kashmiri figures Sardar Zarif Khan, Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan and Irfan-ul-Hassan. Hurriyat leaders, journalists, traders and civil society members attended. Chief guest Sardar Zarif Khan said Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have rendered unparalleled sacrifices for their political future. He said the pain of separation and displacement faced by generations cannot be overlooked.
He noted that the Kashmir movement needs more than ceremonial events. It requires regular, practical work and unity among Kashmiris living at home and abroad. He said overseas communities are making efforts under the guidance of Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai to highlight the case globally, but a lot more needs to be done through a joint strategy.
Altaf Ahmed Bhat, while welcoming the guests, lauded Sardar Zarif Khan for his decades-long services despite his health issues, terming it a source of motivation for youth.
Bhat said people enjoying freedom must realize its worth by remembering the hardships in the occupied territory. Commenting on the recent agitation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on power tariff, flour and other civic matters, he said while public grievances are justified and must be resolved, the same level of public passion is seldom seen for the brethren across the Line of Control.
He observed that if even a fraction of that energy was channeled towards demanding implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir, it would send a powerful message to the world body. Bhat further said a politically stable and economically strong Pakistan can better plead the Kashmir case. He called for strengthening national institutions and maintaining unity, and also acknowledged the role of the armed forces during Marka-e-Haq last year.
Former APHC Convener Mehmood Ahmed Saghar said Kashmir is an internationally accepted dispute that needs continuous diplomatic efforts. Hurriyat leaders Sheikh Abdul Mateen and Muhammad Rafiq Dar said any durable solution must be in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Sardar Zulfiqar Roshan urged the diaspora to utilize its access to foreign parliaments, media and civil society to build awareness. Irfan Chaudhry called for better coordination among overseas groups.
Business Forum of Azad Kashmir and GB President Sardar Imran Aziz said the business community can also play its role through its international linkages. Sardar Asim Abbasi, Advocate Sardar Shaukat, senior journalist Anwar Raza, Raja Bashir Usmani and Dr. Ashraf Wani also spoke on the occasion and stressed media’s role, political consensus and peaceful resolution as per Kashmiri aspirations. The meeting concluded with a pledge to rise above personal and organizational differences and to continue joint efforts for international awareness of the Kashmir dispute.