January 25, 2003	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 21, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the deputy parliamentary leader of Pakistan Muslim League in the National Assembly, has deplored the remarks of US ambassador in Islamabad, Nancy Powell, accusing Pakistan of backing so-called terrorism in the Indian-occupied Kashmir and terming it a platform of terrorism.

In a statement issued here on Friday, he said such remarks, and similar recent utterances of the US ambassador in New Delhi were practical demonstration of the fact that the United States government had shut its eyes to the ground realities, and was blindly supporting India’s bid to permanently deprive the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their right of self-determination.

He said describing the indigenous freedom struggle of the Kashmiris as terrorism was not only a travesty of truth, but also the position now taken up by the United States belied its claim of being a friend of Pakistan.

He said if the United States really believed in justice and implementation of the UN resolutions without discrimination, then it should support the right of self-determination of the people of Jammu and kashmir instead of calling them terrorists.

Chaudhry Nisar said the people of Pakistan had a right to know in categorical terms whether the United States was a friend or a foe. He urged Washington to realize that its unreasonable tilt towards India would ultimately not only harms its own interests but also jeopardize the peace of the region.

He said Pakistan had opposed terrorism in principle and had pledged unstinted support to the United States in combating world terrorism after September 11 incident. Pakistan had allowed the United States the use of its soil and facilities as a front line state without reservation, but instead of supporting Pakistan’s legal position with regard to Kashmir, Washington had come out as an ally of India.

The only reward that Pakistan had received in return for its unstinted support was the treatment of Pakistanis as criminals on the pretext of registration, he added.

He said there was still time that the US officials tried to win back Pakistan’s goodwill with concrete proofs of their adherence to the international law principles of justice.