RIYADH — Pakistani expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir issue, according to the UN resolutions and help put an end to human rights violations perpetrated by the armed forces in the Indian-held Kashmir. They pledged to continue their support to Kashmiris till they achieve their right to self determination. The call was made by Pakistani community leaders at an event observing the ‘Black Day on Kashmir' at the Pakistan Embassy Riyadh last Friday. The function commemorated as Black Day Oct. 27, 1947, when Indian forces had landed in Kashmir. A Kashmiri community speaker Abdul Qayyum Malik observed that Pakistan is the destination of Kashmiris. A number of them called Kashmir an unfinished agenda of the partition of subcontinent. Mohammad Razzaq Khan, a representative of the Kashmiri community, observed that Kashmiris, through a resolution had already decided that their state would accede to Pakistan even before Pakistan came into existence. In his keynote address, Pakistani Ambassador Manzoor Ul Haq noted that the convergence of such a large number of Pakistani expatriates in the embassy was a testimony to their attachment with the Kashmir issue. Disclosing that the Kashmir dispute was the oldest on the UN agenda, he said the resolution adopted by the Security Council promised to give the Kashmiris their right of self determination. "Our support is not only for Kashmiris, but also for the Palestinians," observed Haq, adding that "Pakistan wants to solve all its issues with India through dialogue." He stressed that Kashmir was the core issue between the two countries. An amicable solution of the conflict is imperative for the peace and security of both South Asia and the world, he observed. The Pakistani envoy thanked Saudi Arabia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for their continuous support of Kashmiris on all International forums. A resolution was passed, appealing to the UN and the international community, to play their role in stopping human rights violations in Kashmir and solving the issue according to the UN resolutions. The resolution appreciated Kashmir's High Court verdict rejecting Indian government's claim that Kashmir was a part of India. The judicial decision also ordered that Article 370 was abrogated from the Indian constitution. The resolution also appreciated Pakistan's stance on Kashmir in the UN and other world bodies. Asghar Qureshi, Akram Rana, Rashed Butt, Mohib Gul Shalmani, Hafiz Irfan and Murad Gohar also addressed the gathering.
