MUZAFFARABAD: A Srinagar based senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Tuesday asked the Pakistani political parties to rise above their interests and strengthen their country to help it ensure an early success of Kashmiris’ freedom struggle.

“Internal stability of Pakistan is sine qua non for freedom of Jammu and Kashmir (from Indian subjugation). The situation arising out in Pakistan is worrying the Kashmiris because it is weakening Pakistan, to the detriment of our cause,” said Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in a telephonic address to the participants of a rally in Muzaffarabad.

The rally was taken out under the aegis of Pasban-e-Hurriyat, an organisation of Kashmiri refugees, to protest against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to occupied Ladakh region on Tuesday.

Mr Geelani regretted that over the last 67 years whoever came to power in Pakistan failed to safeguard the interests of the country and devise an effective strategy to rid the Kashmiris of India’s subjugation.

“It’s because of their (Pakistani rulers’) negligence the Kashmiris are still under (India’s) slavery,” he said.

Of the ongoing situation in Pakistan, the octogenarian leader said: “We are at a loss to understand (the rationale behind) the agitation programme of Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri.”

“Where there are elections, there are rigging complaints as well. But that does not mean that an elected government should be sent packing through agitation,” he said.

“We would not say that the present (PML-N) government is pure as the driven snow, but agitation in the present form is sapping the strength of country,” he said.

Referring to a reported stance of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah that Kashmir was the jugular vein of Pakistan, Mr Geelani stressed upon the political leadership and public in Pakistan to firmly stick to it.

“There should be consistency in the policies of Pakistani governments on Kashmir. There should not be any compromise on Kashmir for four-point formula or trade,” he said, in a reference to former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf’s four-point formula and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s reported desire for trade with India.

He also spoke about India’s repressive measures in held Kashmir and its desperate efforts to change the demography of the Muslim majority state.

“Pro India governments in held Kashmir have not only turned a blind eye towards the reign of terror unleashed by the tyrannous Indian forces, but are also carrying out New Delhi’s nefarious agenda in the region,” he said.

Earlier, the participants of the rally marched from press club to Garhi Pan Chowk, amid pro-freedom and anti India chants.

“India should not behave like Israel in the region: Kashmiris will never accept Indian suppression,” read a big banner they were holding, apart from many placards.

The participants also torched India’s tricolour flag at Garhi Pan Chowk.

Prominent among others who spoke on the occasion included Pasban-e-Hurriyat chief Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, Mushtaqul Islam, Shaukat Javed Mir and Asghar Rasool.

Published in Dawn, Aug 13th, 2014