MUZAFFARABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday reiterating Pakistan’s principled position and support on Kashmir issue, categorically said that no one could dare cast an evil eye on Pakistan and that its desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness or hesitation to face any aggression.
“Pakistan is not a war mongering nation. But if anyone thinks that we are weak, shying away or hesitating, they should remove this misunderstanding.. Muzaffarabad is not Gaza and New Delhi is not Tel Aviv No one can dare to kill 4,000 children here,” he said in an interaction with the students of different colleges and universities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir during his two-day visit.
Expressing his confidence in Pakistan’s defense capabilities in the context of the Indian aggression, he said though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had same attitudes, they had different implementing capability and response mechanisms.
To a question, the prime minister strongly rejected the rumours of any change in Pakistan’s policy to follow the Indian suit to merge AJK in Pakistan, he said, “No one can think of such stupid act. Nobody can dare.”
He said the rumours were spread by enemies to create misunderstandings and that Pakistan had a principled journey with Kashmiris backed by the sacrifices of 90,000 people throughout the decades.
He said Pakistan had fought three wars with India on Kashmir and was are ready to face any kind of aggression.
“Are we fighting the wars to make Kashmir KP. This is out of question,” he commented and reiterated Pakistan’s resolved of not budging an inch from its principled position.
To a suggestion about a corridor between AJK and IIOJK, he said India was not allowing Kashmiris move freely even from their homes in Srinagar, what to talk of traveling to AJK. This will be possible when the Kashmir question will go to its final settlement. We should strive to take the issue to finals settlement, he added.
He said the only solution to Kashmir dispute was to hold plebiscite as per the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions.
He said during the visit, he held detailed consultations with AJK parliamentarians across different political parties and Hurriyat leadership and mulled over how to project and exploit the matter in collaboration with the society and the diaspora.
Also read: Kashmir Issue should be resolved according to relevant UNSC resolutions: COAS
Coming to Gaza situation, the prime minister said Pakistan would continue to raising the voice against Israel which was using brutal force against Palestinians. He said Pakistan had sent a field hospital and doubled its humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people.
He said the immediate focus should be to achieve ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridor.
“Gaza is close to our hearts… Israel earned nothing but hatred. Israel earned no fame,” he remarked.
About the repatriation of foreigners, Prime Minister Kakar reiterated that only the illegal foreigners were being repatriated as they had been posing security challenge for the country.
About the brain drain, he reiterated his earlier position of not discouraging it as the diaspora would become an asset in form of remittances and projecting Pakistan’s image. However, he called for improving education quality and fill the gaps to enhance the number of graduates to fulfill domestic and global supply needs.
Regarding the increasing interest rate, the prime minister said State Bank, being an autonomous body determined the interest rate as well as the monetary policy with no government control.
However, he said the government remained in contact with the central bank expressed the hope that the situation would improve with the improvement of economic indicators.
About different education-related issues including frequent changes of syllabi, quota in educational scholarship and other schemes, salary structure of new doctors and physiotherapists, he assured to take up the matter with the AJK government and relevant departments and playing his role wherever required.
