Latest news with #SultanMahmoodChaudhry
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Unequivocal support to Kashmiris' struggle: AJK President extends gratitude to Azerbaijan
MIRPUR: Azad Jammu Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has expressed his profound gratitude to the people and the government of Azerbaijan for their steadfast support of Kashmiris' legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination. In an exclusive interview with Head of Media and Information Literacy Centre of Azerbaijan and Vice Rector of Tele-Radio Academy AZ Television Almaz Mahmood Nasibova at Jammu Kashmir House in the federal metropolis on Sunday, the AJK President expressed the optimism that Azerbaijan will continue to play its role to seek an early and amicable settlement of the lingering dispute in line with Kashmiris' wishes and aspirations. Terming India's imperialistic presence in the region as a threat to peace and stability in the region, Barrister Chaudhry said that India's illegal and forcible control over the territory poses an existential threat to Kashmiris, who he said have been fighting for the past several decades to achieve their birthright, guaranteed to them under multiple UNSC resolutions. 'The Kashmir issue is one of the unresolved issues pending on the UN agenda,' he said, adding that the lingering dispute has been the bone of contention between Pakistan and India. 'The threat of war will continue to loom over South Asia unless the Kashmir dispute is addressed in its historical perspective,' the president remarked. Barrister Chaudhry hailed Azerbaijan for its all-out support to Pakistan during the recent Pakistan-India tensions. He also praised the friendly countries, including the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, and other countries, for their significant role in diffusing tension in the region and facilitating a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed nations. He said that India has miserably failed in its attempts aimed at tarnishing Pakistan's image at an international level under the guise of a false flag operation. He highlighted the Pakistan Army's significant contribution in defending the country's territorial sovereignty and delivering a crushing response to India, which he said has compelled the enemy to lick the dust and seek a ceasefire. He said that the people of Kashmir have welcomed US President Donald Trump's mediation offer. Describing Kashmiris as the main stakeholders in the Kashmir dispute, the president stressed holding tripartite talks and associating Kashmiri leadership in the decision-making process to find out a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. The recent military standoff between the two countries, he said, has proved it beyond any reasonable doubt that the Kashmir issue is a flashpoint between the two nuclear powers. 'Unless the Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions, there can be no guarantee of lasting peace and security in South Asia,' he added. Given the volatile situation in the region, the president said that it was high time that the world community should come forward in a big way and play its much-needed role to help resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully. Responding to a query, Barrister Chaudhry said that the literacy rate in Azad Kashmir is higher than in the four provinces of Pakistan. He also underscored the Kashmiri women's role in the development of the society.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
AJK president calls for int'l mediation
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry has called for international mediation and said that his administration was preparing a humanitarian response in case of any further escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. India blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack, which left 26 people dead, which Islamabad has denied. "There is a lot of activity going on and anything could happen so we have to prepare for it. These few days are very important," the AJK president told Reuters in an interview, calling for rapid international diplomacy to de-escalate the situation. "We expect some mediation at this time from some friendly countries and we hope that that mediation must take place, otherwise India would do anything this time," he said. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates could be in a position to mediate, he added. Chaudhry also said he hoped major players like the United States and Britain might also get involved. He said activity along the Line of Control (LoC) was "hot" and that Pakistan had shot down two Indian drones in the last few days. There had been regular firing by Pakistani and Indian soldiers day and night, though so far there had been no casualties, he said. Pakistan had also detected Indian Rafale fighter jets flying near the LoC, though they had not crossed, he added. The Indian Air Force did not respond to a request for comment, though an Indian military official said Rafale jets were doing their usual training and drills along the LoC. Chaudhry said he had not received intelligence on when and where India was expected to strike, but his administration was working with groups such as the Red Crescent Society to prepare extra medical and food supplies in case of any conflict. "Red Crescent are working on it and we are working on displaced people in affected areas," he said. He said that the international community also needed to pay more attention to Kashmir's long-term future. "I think this is the right time for the international community as a whole and the UN to play some mediating role in Kashmir," he said. "It's been a very long time and the people of Kashmir have suffered a lot." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Pakistan and India on Tuesday, stressing the need to avoid confrontation. The US and Britain have also called for calm.
Shafaq News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Anything could happen: Pakistan's Kashmir appeals for international intervention
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the head of Pakistan-administered Kashmir urged international mediation, warning of a potential humanitarian crisis amid escalating tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. 'There is a lot of activity going on and anything could happen, so we have to prepare for it. These few days are very important,' Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry told Reuters, citing increased troop movements, drone activity, and heightened alerts along the Line of Control (LoC). Chaudhry called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to mediate, while also appealing to global powers like the United States and the United Kingdom. 'We expect some mediation at this time from some friendly countries. Otherwise, India would do anything this time,' he warned. His remarks follow Pakistan's assertion that it possesses 'credible intelligence' of a potential Indian military strike. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, on Tuesday, that strategic decisions had been made and troops were reinforced along the LoC. Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar also cautioned, on X, that India could launch an attack within 24 to 36 hours based on 'baseless and concocted allegations.' 'Any such military adventurism by India would be responded to assuredly and decisively,' he wrote. The Indian Air Force did not comment, but an Indian military official reported that Rafale fighter jets were conducting routine drills near the border. Earlier today, India's ANI news agency reported that Pakistan's military violated the ceasefire agreement by opening fire along the international border in Jammu district. The latest flare-up follows a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people, fuelling renewed tension between India and Pakistan. Diplomatic relations between the two countries have further deteriorated. Authorities on both sides have cancelled visas and suspended operations at the Wagah border crossing. Indian officials have accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border militancy, a charge Pakistan denies. No formal mediation efforts are currently underway, though concern over the stability of the region continues to rise. Communities near the Line of Control remain anxious, with many residents recalling the intense conflicts of the 1990s and 2000s that caused significant damage to border villages. The fragile peace established by the 2003 ceasefire agreement, reaffirmed in 2021, now faces a serious threat.
