‘Pakistan renews its focus on Kashmir issue'
ISLAMABAD: Amid rising tensions with India, Pakistan has renewed its focus on the Kashmir issue, combining diplomatic efforts with a strong defence posture. Chairman of the Kashmir Committee, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, said recent developments are crucial for Pakistan in both protecting its borders and highlighting the Kashmir dispute on the international stage.
Speaking at a press conference, Noon praised the swift and professional response of Pakistan's armed forces to Indian aggression on May 10, calling it a 'rebirth for Pakistan' that signals the beginning of a new, more assertive era. He hailed the leadership of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Air Chief Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, and Naval Chief Naveed Ashraf, noting that Pakistan's military actions garnered international recognition and surprised many who underestimated Eastern military capabilities.
Noon stressed that Pakistan's position is not merely reactionary but principled, rooted in its commitment to global peace and in line with international law. He reiterated that the Kashmir conflict is not a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India but a global concern, echoing United Nations Security Council resolutions that affirm Kashmiris' right to self-determination.
The Kashmir Committee has recently intensified its international outreach. A delegation visited the United Kingdom to engage with British lawmakers, members of the Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora, and even Congressional representatives, drawing attention to Indian state-sponsored terrorism and human rights violations in the region. The timing of the visit, Noon said, was crucial in countering India's propaganda and highlighting the plight of Kashmiris to the world.
He also pointed to growing morale among overseas Pakistanis and Kashmiris, as well as rising international respect for Pakistani diplomatic efforts, even symbolized by improved treatment of Pakistani passport holders at global airports.
Noon criticized India's ongoing demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir, terming them a direct violation of international norms. He drew a sharp parallel between Indian atrocities in Kashmir and Israel's actions in Gaza, calling both examples of systemic oppression and occupation.
Referring to India's attempt to unilaterally alter the Indus Waters Treaty, Noon reminded the world that this treaty is a globally recognized agreement backed by the World Bank and cannot be revoked unilaterally. He also highlighted the underreported tragedy of the Jafer Express bombing—arguably more severe than the Pulwama incident—lamenting that Pakistan's sacrifices in the war against terrorism have not been adequately conveyed internationally.
He also welcomed former US President Donald Trump's past offer for mediation, reiterating that Pakistan remains open to dialogue—but not at the cost of compromising its sovereignty or the rights of the Kashmiri people.
Noon concluded by asserting that while governments may change, Pakistan's commitment to the Kashmir cause remains unwavering. 'This is not a matter of politics,' he said. 'This is a matter of national conscience.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
38 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan says no decision yet to scrap bilateral agreements with India
Listen to article No decision has yet been taken to scrap bilateral agreements with India, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Thursday – a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that the 1972 Simla Agreement between the two hostile neighbours was a 'dead' document. Responding to media queries, a senior Foreign Office official said that while India's recent actions and statements prompted internal discussions, Pakistan had made no formal or conclusive move to annul any of its bilateral accords with New Delhi. 'At present, there is no formal decision to terminate any bilateral accord,' the official stated, indicating that the existing bilateral agreements, including the Simla Agreement, remain in effect. Read more: Asif declares Simla agreement a 'dead document' The clarification came a day after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, during an interview with a private television channel, said the Simla Agreement had lost its relevance and validity due to India's recent unilateral actions. 'The Simla Agreement is now a dead document. We are back to the 1948 position, when the United Nations declared the Line of Control a ceasefire line following the ceasefire and resolutions,' Asif said. He argued that the bilateral framework agreed upon in 1972 had collapsed, and future disputes would have to be addressed through multilateral or international channels. Referring to the first Indo-Pak war and the resulting UN-mediated ceasefire, the minister asserted that India's steps — particularly the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 — had undermined the foundations of bilateral engagement. He also questioned the current status of other key agreements, saying: 'Whether the Indus Waters Treaty is suspended or not, Simla is already over.' In a pointed warning, the defence minister commented on the broader security situation, saying the threat of conflict with India was still there. 'Pakistan does not desire war, but if it is imposed on us, our response will be even stronger than before,' he warned. Read more: Simla Agreement 1972: Key points and exit implications The Simla Agreement, signed in 1972 in the aftermath of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, committed both countries to resolving their disputes through peaceful and bilateral means. The accord converted the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir into the Line of Control (LoC) and obligated both sides to refrain from the threat or use of force, while respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Khawaja Asif's remarks came against the backdrop of New Delhi's recent announcement to unilaterally suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), followed by unprovoked strikes inside Pakistani territory last month—developments that triggered heightened military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. In the wake of India's move, Pakistani authorities reported a sharp decline of 91,000 cusecs in water flows from India into the Chenab River as the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has continued to issue hawkish statements, suggesting the use of water as a strategic weapon against Pakistan. Days after announcing the suspension of the treaty, PM Modi declared that water previously flowing to Pakistan would now be retained for domestic use, asserting that Pakistan would no longer receive water from rivers over which India claims rights.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
France's Dassault and India's Tata to produce Rafale fuselage in Hyderabad
NEW DELHI: France's Dassault Aviation and India's Tata Advanced Systems have agreed to manufacture the fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft in India, the companies said on Thursday, the first time it will be produced outside France. India, the world's biggest arms importer, has been looking to step up domestic production and boost defence exports, which jumped 12% in the fiscal year to end-March, to $2.76 billion. Tata will set up a production facility in the southern city of Hyderabad to manufacture key structural sections of the Rafale as part of the agreement, the companies said in a statement. The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in the 2028 financial year, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month, they said. After Pakistan downed Indian jets, Indonesia weighs purchase of China's J-10s The statement did not say how much the deal was worth nor whether the finish products would be for domestic use or export, but Tata Advanced Systems said on X that the fuselage would be 'for India and other global markets'. The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighters. India also signed a deal in April with France – its second-largest arms supplier - to buy 26 naval versions of the jets for $7 billion, which are expected to be delivered by 2030. The South Asian nation is looking to modernise its military and boost domestic weapons' production, particularly to strengthen its defences against neighbours Pakistan and China. India used fighter jets in four-days of fierce clashes with Pakistan last month, after a deadly attack by assailants that killed 26 men in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan's defence minister had said three of India's Rafale fighter jets had been shot down during the fighting but did not share any evidence. One US official told Reuters that at least one downed Indian aircraft was a Rafale. Dassault Aviation had declined to comment. India's chief of defence staff told Reuters in an interview last week that India suffered losses in the air, but declined to give details.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Only ceasefire between Pakistan, India represents true victory, says Bilawal
Only a lasting ceasefire between Pakistan and India represents true victory, said former Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday. On May 7, India launched airstrikes on Pakistani targets to 'avenge last month's killing of 26 people by gunmen in Pahalgam town', about 89km east of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan denied any involvement in the attack. In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) at the United Nations headquarters, Zardari, also the chairman of Pakistan People's Party, said that there is no 'real victory' until the final ceasefire. 'I think the very easy answer to who won this war is who's lying to their people? Whose media was lying to their people? Whose government was lying to their people during the conflict and after the conflict? It took one month for the Indian government to admit that we downed their planes. Why were they hiding this fact from their people? Because the truth is they lost. As our initial self-defense for their unilateral violation of our sovereignty, we downed six Indian jets and they refused to admit it up until literally yesterday. We've achieved a ceasefire. That's important. I think that's the true victory,' said Zardari. IMF warns Pakistan-India tensions could threaten reform, fiscal goals Pakistan and India announced on May 10 that they had agreed on an immediate ceasefire, but Zardari admitted that it is a fragile ceasefire. 'This is, I think, a fragile ceasefire. In order for this to be a lasting ceasefire, we appeal to the international community to play its role because Pakistan has said that they're willing to talk. There's only one country that says they're not willing to talk and that's India. So obviously that's not a sustainable situation. And therefore, it is our effort to engage the international community for them to play their role to establish peace, which must include resolving the issue of Kashmir, resolving India's water dispute that India has now started illegally and having a proper conversation about terrorism,' said the former foreign minister. Zardari stated that both parties are most likely to resolve their disputes through dialogue. 'I think the most important and the most sort of possible achievement would be for us to start a dialogue. Dialogue and diplomacy has to be the start for us to address any and all issues. So Pakistan is willing to talk with India. We want peace, but peace is not possible, as you say, until we engage in a dialogue. Of course, I believe as we relied or there was the international community's involvement in achieving our ceasefire. Therefore, it's reasonable to believe that if the international community plays its role in a similar way, perhaps, we will able to establish perpetual peace, at least in South Asia,' he said.
