ANKARA, 9 August 2019: Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan Mr. Asad Qaiser telephoned the Speaker of the Turkish Great National Assembly Mr. Mustafa Şentop today.
Mr. Asad Qaiser briefed him about the situation arising out of the unilateral scrap of Articles 370 and 35-A of Indian Constitution by the Government of India. The Speaker apprised him that withdrawal of both the Articles that had resulted in a historic fraud, committed against the beleaguered people of the Indian Occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir (IOK) by the Indian Government.
Speaker Asad Qaisar apprised the Turkish dignitary about the Joint Session of the Pakistan Parliament held on 6th and 7th August, 2019 and Unanimous Resolution adopted therein and requested them to raise voice against such heinous crimes against humanity and help the innocent people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in achieving their due right to self-determination, as pledged to them by the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Speaker Asad Qaiser further apprised that apart from this heinous crime, the entire pro-plebiscite Kashmiri leadership and former Chief Ministers of IOK have been put under arrest. The Speaker said that the entire Occupied Kashmir Valley has virtually been put under siege with a dawn-to-dusk curfew, suspension of Internet services and a complete blockade of any other means of communication.
He said that such desperate actions have further aggravated an already grave situation in the region. Moreover, there are daily unprovoked violations of the Line of Control with massive shelling from the Indian forces on civilian and military targets on the Pakistan’s side of Kashmir. He said that the Indian armed forces used cluster bombs against innocent civilians, killing and injuring men, women and children living along-side the Line of Control during last week.
The Turkish Speaker said he is closely observing the situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir. “The people of Turkey, members of the Turkish Parliament, and above all, President Erdogan himself are concerned at the situation in Kashmir,” said Mr. Mustafa Şentop. He reassured Turkey’s steadfast support to the people of Pakistan and the oppressed people of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Mr. Mustafa Şentop said India has usurped the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people. He said the recent Indian actions in Indian Occupied Kashmir have no legal and moral basis. Speaker Şentop welcomed recent OIC statements about the situation of Kashmir that supports Pakistan’s principaled stance on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
Speaker Mustafa Şentop said Turkey fully supports Pakistan’s principled position on Jammu and Kashmir which is the resolution of the dispute as per the UN Security Council Resolutions and in accordance with the will of the people of Kashmir. He informed that a resolution in support of oppressed people of Kashmir would soon be tabled in the Turkish Parliament.