TORONTO, AUG 11 /DNA/ – President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan has said India has no right to sit in the United Nations Security Council or preside over it after committing war crimes against humanity and genocide in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).“Under the Geneva Conventions and international law, India must be held accountable for heinous crimes and the cover of impunity given to India should be withdrawn,” he said in a video message to International Solidarity Conference on Kashmir, arranged in the Canadian city of Toronto under the joint aegis of Friends of Kashmir and the Canadian Council for Justice and Peace. Consul General of Pakistan Toronto Abdul Hameed, noted Canadian author and journalist Robert Fantina, Karen Rodman, director Just Peace Advocates Canada, Dr Ali Mallah, former vice President Canadian Arab Federation, Michaela Lavis, PhD student in Kashmir Studies, Dr. Zafar Bangash, director of Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought and member Friends of Kashmir Canada and a host of other speakers also spoke on the occasion and highlighted various aspects of the tragedy that was unfolding in the IIOJK. In his recorded video message played at the conference, Sardar Masood Khan told the participants the siege and occupation of IIOJK continues in the past two years as thousands of men, boys and children have been illegally detained and tortured in prison houses and concentration camps and 80 per cent of the Kashmiris land has been expropriated for Hindu settlements and businesses and millions of Hindus from India have been illegally domiciled to reduce Muslim majority in the occupied state. 

He vowed the Kashmiris would repulse Indian designs of colonization and secure their freedom through self-determination. “We are grateful to the world parliaments and media networks for speaking up for Kashmiris in the past but now when the very identity of the state and its people is being erased, the world is silent,” he said and demanded the world stop India and take action to save the Kashmiris from decimation and destruction. In his speech, Consul General of Pakistan Toronto Abdul Hameed told the participants the real objective of the measures of 5th August was to change the demographic structure of IIOJK and make the holding of plebiscite impossible. The pace of issuing domicile certificates by India for facilitating outside settlers during the last 15 months in IIOJK is far faster than the speed with which Israeli government issued similar documents to settlers. Similarly other cases of settler colonialism in Palestine and other parts of the world have happened in the past while in IIOJK, it is happening now and at the fastest pace which means that humanity has not learnt anything from the bitter experience of the past.Abdul Hameed declared the measures of 5th August 2019 null and void as they violated the UNSC resolutions, international law, the fourth Geneva Convention, Simla agreement between India and Pakistan besides several UNSC resolutions including resolution 122 of 1957. He particularly underscored the UNSC resolution 122 of 1957 which was drafted after the UNSC had dealt with Kashmir for nine years and its view of the dispute had become quite mature and ripened being based on the accumulated wisdom of various UN sponsored formula for the solution, different proposals, reports and debates.  “This resolution clearly states that ‘the final disposition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method for a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the UN,’ he said, adding the same 1957 resolution underlines that no sham exercise of elections can be a substitute of the plebiscite to be held under the auspices of the UN, he said. 

ISLAMABAD, AUG 11: Turkish Minister for Defence Hulusi Akar, called on Prime Minister Imran Khan today. Welcoming the delegation, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted historic fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkey, marked by unique mutual trust and mutual support.

The Prime Minister conveyed his cordial greetings for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the brotherly Turkish people.

The Prime Minister also expressed deep concern over the forest fires in Turkey, reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity, and reiterated readiness to extend all possible assistance to help cope with this calamity.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the existing level of bilateral defence cooperation. Prime Minister Imran Khan also thanked for Turkey’s strong and consistent support to Pakistan on all issues, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

On regional issues, Prime Minister Imran Khan shared Pakistan’s perspective on the Afghan peace process. Underlining that a negotiated political settlement was the only way forward, the Prime Minister expressed hope that the Afghan leaders would recognize the importance of international convergence on the way forward and achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. The Prime Minister stated that Pakistan will continue to make every effort to help advance the Afghan peace process and to realize a political solution.   

The Turkish Minister for Defence conveyed warm greetings from President Erdogan and reiterated Turkey’s support to Pakistan on all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. He concurred with Prime Minister Imran Khan on enhancing cooperation in all areas to the mutual benefit of both the countries, inlcuding in the defence field. He also underlined Turkey’s efforts to promote a political solution in Afghanistan.

Mr. Hulusi Akar is visiting Islamabad as part of frequent high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Turkey for consultations on important bilateral and regional issues.