President Alvi puts forward eight demands to India on Kashmir Solidarity Day

MUZAFFARABAD: Reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for the right of self-determination, President Dr Arif Alvi put forward eight demands to India in his address at the Azad Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Tuesday.

Addressing a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day, President Alvi demanded India to immediately release all political prisoners in occupied Kashmir and allow freedom of speech to the Kashmiris.

He urged India to halt the use of firearms as well as pellet guns against the innocent Kashmiri people in the occupied valley, and called on the Indian authorities for withdrawal of aggressive black laws.

The president called on India to allow the leadership from occupied Jammu and Kashmir to travel abroad so that they could freely present their case and point of view before the international community.

He demanded the Indian government to give access to the international human rights organisations to visit the occupied valley to "see the situation for themselves".

The president also urged Indian authorities to open up the communication links for international and social media networks.

The special session of AJK Legislative Assembly was also addressed by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir, and leaders of various political parties in the Azad Kashmir Assembly.

For the first time, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman and members of GB Cabinet also attended the session on special invitation.

President Alvi reiterated that the people and all political parties in Pakistan were united on the issue of Kashmir and firmly stood behind their Kashmiri brethren in their just struggle for their right of self-determination, which was also recognised by the international community through UN resolutions.

He lauded the courage and sacrifices of the Kashmiris including men, women, and youth in the ongoing freedom struggle and said their sacrifices would not go in vein and they would achieve their goal of freedom.