MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Dr Najeeb Naqi has urged members of a visiting European Parliament delegation to play their role in highlighting the Kashmir issue and human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) at international forums.
The President expressed these views during a meeting with members of the European Parliament at the President’s Office in Muzaffarabad, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Saturday.
The meeting discussed in detail the Kashmir issue, the human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and the role of the international community in achieving lasting peace in the region.
Welcoming the delegation, Naqi said that the Kashmir issue is not only a regional matter but also an important international issue that requires the global community’s role for a solution.
He stated that the Kashmiri people have been struggling for a long time to achieve their basic political, human, and democratic rights.
The President, expressing concern over the human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, said that international human rights institutions and international parliamentary forums should review the situation in occupied Kashmir.
He hoped that the members of the European Parliament would play their role in understanding the various aspects of the Kashmir issue, especially the human rights situation, and creating awareness in this regard at the global level.
Naqi said that Pakistan and the Kashmiri people want to resolve the issues in the region through peace and dialogue. “A lasting solution to the Kashmir issue should be in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
President Naqi stressed the importance of academic, diplomatic and parliamentary engagement in bringing the concerns and aspirations of Kashmiris to the attention of the international community.
He thanked the European parliamentarians for visiting Azad Kashmir and taking an interest in the region.
Later, members of the delegation visited special stalls established at the President’s House showcasing Kashmiri culture, tourism and mineral resources.
On this occasion, local artists and singers also presented performances highlighting Kashmiri culture, while the delegation was shown a documentary featuring tourist destinations, natural landscapes and the cultural heritage of the region.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, President Dr. Najib Naqi presented a commemorative shield to Member of the European Parliament Mary Khan.
