Bosnian Ambassador calls on AJK President, discusses Kashmir, people to people contacts

Muzaffarabad, May 24: The Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Sakib Foric, called on President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan at Aiwan-e- Sadar, Muzaffarabad on Monday.

The AJK President and Ambassador Sakib Foric during the meeting discussed ways to strengthen relations between the people of Bosnia, Pakistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The AJK President expressed his immense pleasure to receive the Bosnian envoy and said that Bosnia is a great nation with a history of the valiant struggle to fight tyranny, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

“You have been a beacon of light for other nations in the heart of Europe,” he said.

Terming Ambassador Sakib Foric as one of the most dynamic diplomats in the diplomatic community in Pakistan, President Masood said Ambassador Sakib’s tenure in Pakistan remained very productive in furthering the friendly relations between Bosnia, Pakistan, and Azad Kashmir.

“During your tenure the Bosnian President Mr. Sefik Dzaferovic visited Pakistan and I had the honour of meeting him and discussing the dire situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”, the AJK President said adding that he had also discussed with him promotion of closer ties and exchanges between Bosnia and Azad Kashmir.

The Bosnian Ambassador said that his country was fully aware of the plight of Kashmiris and sought full respect for their fundamental rights. President Khan thanked the ambassador for the solidarity shown by the Bosnian People towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ambassador Sakib Foric said that President Sefik Dzaferovic had especially asked him to convey his greetings and good wishes to President AJK. President Masood Khan reciprocated with warmth and gratitude.

Sharing his memories of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, AJK President said that he had the honor of drafting and steering resolutions on Bosnia in the Third Committee and the General Assembly of the United Nations. He said that Pakistan, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, had made resolute efforts to stop ethnic cleansing and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

President Masood Khan said that deep scars left by the crimes against Bosnian people and massacre of innocent Muslims in Srebrenica are still fresh in our hearts. Pakistan, he said, had sent its peacekeeping forces to the area to help Bosnian people.

President Khan said we had supported Bosnians not merely because they were Muslims but because it was a matter of humanity.

The President suggested the exchange of students, academics, and journalists between AJK and Bosnia as part of people-to-people contacts to strengthen relations between the people of the two regions.

AJK President also expressed his gratitude to Bosnia for providing generous help to build a girls school at Chattar Kalass near Muzaffarabad and constructing a hospital there after the earthquake 2005.

The Ambassador thanked AJK President and conveyed his desire to strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bosnia by promoting cooperation in multiple areas, including defense, particularly training of Bosnia’s armed personnel in military institutions of Pakistan.

Mr. Sakib Foric acknowledged Pakistan’s endeavours for promoting unity among the Muslims and also thanked Pakistan for extending assistance to Bosnia in a number of sectors and widely recognizing its position and sovereignty at the international level.

The Bosnian Ambassador arrived in Muzaffarabad to deliver computers to the children of the school built at Chattar Kallas through Bosnian funding. The computers provided by the Embassy of Bosnia were delivered to the management of the school at a simple ceremony held at the Presidency. Earlier the AJK President thanked the Ambassador for their gesture in the midst of COVID-19