ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: The President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan on Tuesday urged the international community to intervene and stop India from death and destruction, the genocide of Kashmiris and evicting them from their land and homes in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

He also called upon the UN Security Council play its role in finding a political and diplomatic solution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions on the issue to save the region from devastation and to ensure peace and security of the region.

Addressing two international webinars and two national conferences on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of Indian military occupation of occupied Kashmir and the Black Day being observed by Kashmiris on both sides of LoC, in Pakistan and all over the world against its illegal occupation, he said that the Kashmir issue emerged as a result of illegal and the immoral military occupation of Kashmir by India in 1947 and today it has all the potential of taking India-Pakistan hostility to the nuclear level.

Addressing webinars organized by the Scottish Human Rights Forum and Kashmir Council Sweden, the President rejected Indian claim that Kashmir is a bilateral dispute between the two countries.  He said it was an international dispute on which the UN Security Council had passed several resolutions and the issue was still on the agenda of the Security Council.

Saying that there are three parties to the Kashmir dispute, Khan asserted that apart from Pakistan and India, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the principal party to the long-standing dispute and the participation of Kashmiri people in any parleys to resolve the issue was inevitable to make the process a success.

He emphasized that that solution to the Kashmir issue lies in a free and fair plebiscite under UN supervision and in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. He maintained that before any talks on Kashmir it was necessary for India to withdraw all measures it took before and after August 5, 2019, with regard to Occupied Kashmir in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 92 and 122.

India, he said, also needs to take back actions such as unilaterally changing the disputed status of the region and altering the demography of the occupied territory. He said that the UN Security Council should play the role of mediator to resolve the dispute and the UN Secretary-General should appoint a Special Representative to take forward the diplomatic process.

Addressing a conference organized by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), the president said that the bond of love and the brotherhood between Kashmiris and Pakistan was eternal and no power on earth could separate them from each other. He said that India had used every tactic in the last seven decades to integrate the Kashmiris with Indian society and win their hearts and minds but it had failed and now it had hatched a nefarious conspiracy to wipe out the entire Kashmiri nation.

He said that dialogue with India could not be successful without the participation of genuine representatives of Kashmiris. He said that after August 5 last year, the entire Kashmir Valley was under siege where the Indian Army was selectively killing the youth every day, arresting them and putting them in jails. In the last one year, 14,000 youths have been arrested and locked up in various jails in Kashmir and India.

The President said that even children of Kashmir and women were also not safe from Indian barbarism, and hence, it was obligatory for the international community to take congnizance of gross violations of human rights by accelerating efforts to resolve the dispute through peaceful means.

Praising the efforts of Altaf Wani, Director, Kashmir Institute of International Relations, the President said that his institute was playing an important role in raising the voice of oppressed Kashmiris in various forums of the world.

Addressing another function organized by the Pakistan Arts Council Rawalpindi, President Masood said that the extremist policies of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have put the peace and security of the entire region at stake.

Comparing Azad Kashmir with the occupied part of the state, the President said that in fact no comparison could be made between the two parts of the state. Innocent people are being killed in the occupied part of Kashmir. They are arrested and made disappeared. Young people are blinded by being shot in the eyes and women are sexually abused to terrify the population. He said people in Azad Kashmir are free and they have all civil liberties and fundamental rights.

KARACHI, OCT 27 (DNA) – The Sindh government and Higher Education Commission (HEC) have agreed on designing the unified accreditation system in order to support students and future of universities in accordance with the market changes and demands.

The chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Dr Tariq Banuri, along with the HEC member Dr Fateh Muhammad Mari met Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah where they discussed plans to increase the standard of the higher education.

According to the spokesperson to the chief minister, Murad Ali Shah urged bringing more improvements in increasing the standard of higher education by the HEC authorities. He said that Sindh government is ready to work together with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), adding that the plans for assessing and improving the institutional quality of education should be designed in accordance with the constitutional provisions.

He also asked HEC high-ups not to take decisions which were taken without consulting all provinces. CM Shah said it was the responsibility of the provinces to monitor, assess and authorization of universities.

The provincial government and HEC agreed to design the unified accreditation system. The chief minister said that Sindh government will take responsibility for monitoring and evaluation of the universities, whereas, an academic audit system should be designed for the higher education institutions.

He hinted that the Centre, HEC and Sindh government will finalize a draft plan after holding consultations to make consensus which will be implemented with by all HEC provincial chapters. = DNA

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DNA

Islamabad, OCT 27 – Addressing a press conference, Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “We were expecting that a special session of the Parliament would be held to express solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters on Black day but shockingly this government did not think that it is important to have one”.

“When it comes to matters of national importance and security, we all are on the same page. During PPP’s tenure, we held a joint session for Kashmir. But this namaloom sarkar is least bothered. The parliament is just being used for their own ulterior motives. Our parliament is being insulted and bulldozed by this tabahi sarkar,” she added.

Rehman said, “When they wanted to pass draconian laws in the disguise of FATF, regular joint sessions were called. Then why not for Kashmir? It would have given a strong statement to the world. We spent three months working on FATF laws with our experts for the greater good of our country and people. PPP knows how to get it done as we have removed Pakistan from the grey list before also but this government was all about theatrics. It is shocking that they are applauding each other despite being on the grey list”.

“ICRG has also recommended that Pakistan be retained on the grey list, given its failure to completely implement the 27-point action plan. The government is so busy focusing on jailing opposition politicians that they are not focusing on other serious issues like taking the parliament in confidence and removing Pakistan from the grey list,” she added.

The Senator said, “It is not the opposition’s job but despite that all of us are standing together to give hope to our country. Instead of addressing serious issues like inflation, high food prices, new polio cases, circular debt, load shedding, gas shortage and increased medicine prices; taqseem sarkar is keeping people distracted by their circus”.

“There is an anticipated shortage of wheat this year in the wake of a shortfall in the output. Wheat and sugar are being hoarded and PM’s cronies are benefitting but NAB is just reserved for the opposition. Pakistan was made completely wheat-secure by the last PPP government. When asked about the wheat shortage, PM appears clueless. Why, is he not running the country? If the government is importing wheat to meet the shortfall than why did they export it in the first place? Is any thought and planning going in running this country?” she questioned.

She said, “Tiger force has been unleashed on people without any legal mandate and media voices are being silenced. Wheat is being sold at 70 rupees per kilo, tomatoes for 180 and onions for 80 rupees per kilo. How can people from low income households afford these basic necessities? Roti and naan are also out of their reach. Is this the Naya Pakistan that they have been promising us?”.

Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “PTI government held Islamabad hostage for 126 days but we will not let them hold Pakistan hostage now. Who is running the country because PM Khan is certainly not? They need to get off their containers and must answer the country as to what they have done. PTI government can not get away with their incompetence for long. They must respect the Parliament”.

Senator Raza Rabbani, Senator Maula Bux Chandio, Senator Sassui Palijo, Senator Dr Sikandar Mandhro and Senator Rubina Khalid were also present at the press conference.

RAWALPINDI, OCT 27 (DNA) – The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has condemned the fresh publication of cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), by a French satirical weekly.

RCCI President Mohammad Nasir Mirza in a statement said that such incidents in Europe including republication of blasphemous sketches by Charlie Hebdo have stirred anger in the Islamic world.

He said that in any civilized society, it is unthinkable to insult the honor of the prophets. The business community will never tolerate insults to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) under the guise of freedom of expression.

He demanded the government of Pakistan to take the strong stance in this regard at the governmental level.

Group leader Sohail Altaf said that the publication of blasphemous sketches has hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims around the world. The business community strongly condemns the reprinting of the sketches in a French magazine and calls for a UN and OIC meeting on this important issue.

KARACHI :Pakistan Navy in its efforts to uplift the health standards along the coastal areas prominently under COVID-19 scenario established a free medical and eye camp at Mubarak village, Karachi.

A qualified and dedicated team of doctors comprising all specialists examined the patients on modern diagnostic equipment and extended free consultation.

The patients were also provided with free medicine and minor surgical and dental procedural treatments.

In addition, patients were comprehensively briefed and enlightened about common infectious diseases and their preventive measures particularly on COVID-19 pandemic.

ISLAMABAD, OCT 27 (DNA) – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has awarded Allama Iqbal Scholarship to 91 Sri Lankan students for Fall-2020 / Spring-2021 sessions to pursue higher education in Pakistani universities, under Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme.

The selected students have started arriving in Pakistan and so far 27 students have reached Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Sukkur to join their respective universities. As many as 525 Sri Lankan students had applied for Medical, Engineering, BS, MS, and PhD programmes in response to HEC announcement for Fall 2020/Spring 2021 admissions.

A selection board was constituted for online interviews, which comprised officials from HEC Pakistan, Pakistan High Commission (PHC) Colombo and University Grants Commission (UGC), Sri Lanka. A total of 172 applicants were shortlisted for interview, out of which 91 students have been finally selected.

Spread over five years, Allama Iqbal Scholarship provide an excellent opportunity for 1000 Sri Lankan students to visit Pakistan and pursue undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degree programmes in Engineering Sciences, Basic and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

The scholarship aims to promote an effective exchange of knowledge and better understanding of cultures and tradition between Sri Lankan and Pakistani students. Allama Iqbal Scholarships are part of HEC’s internationalization initiative to encourage international students to study in Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan students will study in their respective programmes in COMSATS University, Islamabad; Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi; Government College University, Lahore; Hazara University, Mansehra; Islamic International University, Islamabad; Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar; Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro; NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi; National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad; Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad; Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur; University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila; and University of the Punjab (UoP), Lahore.=DNA

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