RIYADH: A panel of 20 prominent Pakistani and Kashmiri community leaders including Pakistani Ambassador Manzoor ul Haq called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the UN to address on priority the root causes of the Kashmir problem and solve it within the framework of the UN resolutions.

The call was made during a crowded Pakistani community event organized here at the Pakistan Embassy to observe ‘Kashmir Black Day.’

A number of speakers called on the OIC member states, especially the Pakistani government, to stand united with the Kashmiri people in their struggle for right to self-determination. The move to hold such a huge community event is more significant this year especially after the OIC adopted a resolution reaffirming the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions early last month.

Several Pakistan diplomats including Muhammad Hassan Wazir, deputy head of Pakistani mission; and Sardar Muhammad Khattak, head of chancery; were present. Prominent speakers at the event included Asghar Qureshi, Abdul Moeez, Abdul Basit, Ashger Chisti, Asif Qureshi, Fayyaz Ali Khan, Habib ur Rahman, Haif Irfan, Khalid Akram Rana, Malik Qayyum, Muhib Ullah Salmani, Rashid Butt, S. Mohammad Razzaq, Umer Zahoor, Waqar Wamik, Zahoor Shah, Qari Nematullah and Abdul Qayyum.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Haq said, "Such a big crowd of Pakistani community at 'Kashmir Black Day' event shows their intimate attachment with the issue of Kashmir." The envoy reminded that Kashmir issue is the oldest issue on the UN agenda, which need to be addressed by the international community. He said; “We not only support Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom, rather we also support Palestinians.”

The diplomat categorically made it clear that "Pakistan wants to solve all issues with India but Kashmir is the core issue between the two countries." He stressed the need to solve Kashmir problem, which is imperative and an essential component for peace and security in south Asia. To this end, he thanked Saudi Arabia and OIC for their continuous support for Kashmiris on all multilateral and international forums.

A Kashmiri community leader Qayyum Khan highlighted that the bond of love and relation between Pakistan and Kashmir. Another speaker Razzaq Khan, a Kashmir community representative, strongly lent his support to Kashmir. Some speakers even raised the issue of beef ban in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, while some accused India of ruthlessly killing innocent men, women and children in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

According to a brochure of All Parties Hurriyet Conference distributed at the venue, more than 94,000 innocent civilians have been killed, and over 10,000 innocent women and minor girls have been raped since 1989 in Kashmir. At the end of the speech session, a resolution was presented by Abdul Qayyum appealing UN and international community to swing into action soon and play their roles in stopping human rights violations in Kashmir and solving the issue according to UN resolutions.



The resolution appreciated Kashmir’s High Court’s decision to reject Indian government stand that Kashmir is a part of India and Article 370 should be abrogated from Indian constitution. It also appreciated Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir in international organizations including the UN forum. Some leaflets, brochures and books depicting the sufferings of Kashmiris at the hands of Indian forces were also distributed on this occasion.