07 March 2005	Monday	25 Muharram 1426

ISLAMABAD, March 6: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Faisal Saleh Hayat has urged Pakistani and Kashmiri communities living in the United Kingdom to project Pakistan's soft image abroad.

Addressing a gathering at the Bradford Community Hall, the minister said Pakistanis and Kashmiris living in the UK were ambassadors of the country, says a press release issued by the Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas ministry here on Sunday.

The minister appreciated Pakistani and Kashmiri expatriates' contributions towards improving Pakistan's economy. He said a propaganda campaign against Islam had been launched in the West and the Pakistanis should play an effective role in countering it. "Islam has nothing to do with terrorism, it is a religion of peace," he added.

He underscored the need for projecting Pakistan's soft image as envisioned by President General Pervez Musharraf through his idea of enlightened moderation.

He said his visit to the UK aimed at taking into confidence the Pakistani and Kashmiri communities on the peace moves with India as well as attracting investment.

The minister said pressure was already building up on the Indian government from within India to resolve the issue. This, he said, was also a result of the people-to-people contact taking place in both the countries.

He noted with pleasure that their were many eminent writers, poets and journalists among the Pakistani and Kashmiri communities in the UK. He asked them to play their effective role for promotion of peace between India and Pakistan. The minister said there was no military solution to the Kashmir issue.

He also spoke at an international Kashmir conference in Birmingham, which was arranged by MP Khalid Mehmood. He said the resolution of Kashmir issue would turn South Asia into a hub of economic activity.

Paying tributes to Kashmiri martyrs, he said it was because of their great sacrifices that India had agreed to discuss the issue with Pakistan.