JEDDAH: Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) held a meeting here last week calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir and activation of Rabita Trust for repatriating the Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh.
“The Kashmir issue remains unsolved in the last 60 years and needs urgent attention,” Mohammad Faisal, head of chancery at the Pakistani Consulate said in his speech. “We need to adhere to our faith. We should not lose our patience. We should be consistent in our support to the cause of Kashmir,” he said and appreciated the support extended by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for an early settlement of the disputed region. Naseem Sehar, the chief guest, said plebiscite could alone solve the Kashmir dispute.
“The fact that we have not been able to solve the issue of stranded Pakistanis for the last 37 years shows that we will have to work harder for finding a solution to the Kashmir dispute,” Syed Riaz Hussain Bukhari, president, Pakistan Peoples Community, said.
PRC Convener Ehsanul Haque said the region would be peaceful only if the issue was solved as per the wishes of Kahsmiris. He urged Pakistan’s ruling alliance to use the good offices of the OIC for solving the contentious issue. He wanted the OIC to include the issue of stranded Pakistanis in its agenda.
Mohammad Jamil Rathore, general secretary of Pakistan Journalists Forum, journalists Rauf Tahir and Sameera Aziz, Mohammad Ashfaq Badayouni and Tariq Mahmood also pleaded for ending the dispute between India and Pakistan.
