MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Sunday called upon the government of Pakistan to convince the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to carry out economic blockade of India because of rising atrocities in held Kashmir.

At a press conference, he said India had been applying the same tactics that Israeli forces used against Palestinians to suppress the liberation struggle in the occupied territory.

“We call upon the prime minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, to reach the OIC for India’s economic boycott so as to put pressure on her for the settlement of lingering Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of Kashmiri people,” he said.

“Initially the government of Pakistan should send emissaries to all Islamic countries to update them about unrelenting state terrorism unleashed by Indian troops,” he said.

The AJK premier further said that Islamabad should also approach the United Nations to convene a special session of the Security Council on the rising human rights violations in held Kashmir.

“The blood of Kashmiris is not so cheap and we will not keep quiet. The Government of Pakistan should seriously evaluate Modi’s doctrine that revolves around the genocide of Kashmiris,” he said.

“It is now the duty of all ruling and opposition parties to take stock of India’s nefarious designs. The Kashmir Committee should be made proactive to mould the world opinion in favour of Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir dispute,” Mr Haider said.

He said that the AJK government was also contemplating convening a special two-day session of Legislative Assembly to discuss the current situation in held Kashmir.

An international conference on Kashmir dispute would be organised in July in Muzaffarabad with the coordination and cooperation of the Foreign Office of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Haider also criticised private television channels for “not giving space” to the situation in occupied Kashmir in their current affairs programmes. “Our channels aired more than two thousands programmes on Panama leaks but how many talks shows were conducted by them on occupied Kashmir situation.”

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2017