Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has praised Azerbaijan for its consistent support to Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute, describing the issue as the unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent.
In an interview with an Azerbaijani broadcaster on Wednesday, he also showered praise on the people and government of Pakistan for always staying by the Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control.
According to an official handout, the prime minister highlighted persistent Indian repression of Kashmiris’ political and human rights and said the international community could no longer ignore the situation in the region.
Referring to the policies of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, he said that New Delhi had intensified measures aimed at dismantling the distinct identity of Kashmiris.
Mr Rathore also lauded Pakistan’s armed forces for safeguarding AJK from external aggression and warned that failure to resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute could threaten regional peace and stability.
He called upon the international community to hold India accountable for alleged human rights violations committed by its forces in occupied Kashmir.
Referring to Islamabad-Baku relations, the AJK premier said Azerbaijan, alongside China and Turkey, remained one of Pakistan’s closest allies and a strong supporter of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Paying tribute to Benazir Bhutto, he described her as a global symbol of democracy who sacrificed her life for democratic ideals.
He said Ms Bhutto deeply valued Azerbaijan’s democratic progress following its independence from the Soviet Union and had enjoyed cordial relations with Heydar Aliyev based on democratic values and economic cooperation.
The AJK premier also commended Azerbaijan’s development and resilience despite the challenges it faced during the post-independence period.
Tariq Naqash
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