ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): A meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir was held today at the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Federal Minister and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon.
According to the press release, the meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Acting President and Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, federal ministers, senators, members of the National Assembly, and vice chancellors of universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
At the outset of the meeting, Fateha was offered for the eternal peace of the departed soul of the mother of the Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon.
Addressing the meeting, Rana Qasim Noon stated that the Kashmir issue remains the unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent and emphasized that its resolution in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions is imperative.
He highlighted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied their right to self-determination for over seven decades.
The Chairman stressed that a unified narrative involving youth, intellectuals, and media is essential to effectively highlight the Kashmir issue at the international level.
He underscored the need to promote research, quality education, and academic excellence in the universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and called for the inclusion of Kashmir Studies, Kashmiri culture, and the freedom movement of Jammu and Kashmir in the national curriculum.
He further emphasized that the establishment of technical and vocational institutions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is a pressing need of the time and that youth awareness is vital for shaping global public opinion on the Kashmir issue.
Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore lauded the performance of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir and stated that the Kashmiri people are fully aware of the challenges confronting them.
He noted that the universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are playing an effective role in providing quality education, and that priority-based measures are being undertaken for the development of Azad Kashmir. He also strongly condemned grave human rights violations being committed by India in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, reaffirmed that Pakistan has consistently raised its voice at international forums in support of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
He condemned the continued bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris by Indian occupying forces and emphasized that Kashmir remains a central pillar of Pakistan’s national and foreign policy. Akbar also stressed the inclusion of the Kashmiri language, culture, and heritage in the education curriculum.
The Acting President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir highlighted the importance of federal government support to ensure the financial sustainability of universities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
