Sardar Masood asks Delhi to open a humanitarian corridor towards IOJK

MUZAFFARABAD, April 27: The AJK President, Sardar Masood Khan has said Pakistan offered assistance to the people of India to fight coronavirus pandemic on humanitarian ground and expressed his hope that New Delhi will demonstrate the same spirit by establishing a humanitarian corridor towards occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He stated this while talking to a delegation that called on him here on Tuesday under the leadership of Vice Chairman International Forum for Justice Mushtaq ul Islam and Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Uzair Ahmed Ghazali.

The President added that the rescue of besieged Kashmiri people, who are eyeing on Pakistan and Azad Kashmir for help is our national obligation, and to avoid fulfilling this obligation is a national crime. The president expressed his confidence the day is not far off when the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people would materialise, dark night of subjugation will end and the day of freedom will dawn.

For this purpose, he added that an alliance of like-minded political parties already exist in Azad Kashmir while such an alliance on the single point agenda of Kashmir cause is direly needed on a national level.

While apprising the state president of the latest situation of occupied Kashmir, Mushtaqul Islam and Uzair Ahmed Ghazali said that there was a need to raise voice for the release of thousands of Kashmiri leaders and workers languishing in prisons in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as India, particularly Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Musarrat Alam Bhatt, Ashraf Sehrai, and others because these political prisoners are faced with a serious threat to their lives due to Covid-19.

Earlier talking to a London-based news web portal, the AJK President Sardar Masood Khan said that the third wave of Covid-19 had badly affected hundreds of millions of people in India, and the death toll is rising with every passing day.

“The 3rd wave of coronavirus pandemic has hit India very badly, where fatalities are increasing with every passing day. This situation is a cause of concern not just for India but for all the neighbouring states and even distant countries. We wish the suffering population well,” Khan said.

He said that the situation that erupted in India is alarming for not only India but all neighbouring and even distant countries as well. Keeping in view this situation, Pakistan not only expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Indian people but also offered cooperation and humanitarian assistance to the pandemic-stricken people of India.

In spite of all out oppression by the Indian government towards the Kashmiri people, Pakistan expressed solidarity with India which reflects a firm belief of the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir on Humanitarianism and human values, he added.

“The government of Pakistan has formally offered humanitarian assistance to the Indian people to fight this lethal virus. The face of AJK & Pakistan is a humanitarian face. In this hour of suffering, we express solidarity with the people of India. We are practising what we believe in,” he said.

President Khan urged India to follow into the footprints of Pakistan in terms of human values, and life the siege of occupied Kashmir which has been continuing for the last more than 600 days and provide relief to the Kashmiri people.

“We expect the same spirit to be demonstrated by India by establishing a humanitarian corridor towards Jammu and Kashmir, the territory they have occupied. There should be humanitarian relief for the besieged population of IOJK too,” he said.