LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) condemned on Monday India’s state terrorism in held Kashmir and called upon the Pakistan government to launch a diplomatic drive to draw world attention to the bloodshed.

Meanwhile, opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and PTI MPA Dr Nausheen Hamid on Monday submitted a resolution against the Indian atrocities on unarmed Kashmiris.

In a statement, JI emir Senator Sirajul Haq said that silence of the rulers in Islamabad and the Muslim world over the killings in the valley, where dozens of innocent Kashmiris were martyred in the straight firing by Indian troops, is condemnable.

Mr Haq said that Israel was killing the Palestinians in Gaza while India was shedding Kashmiris blood in the valley. The blood of the Muslims was also being shed in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan but the the OIC and the Muslim rulers were not taking notice.

He said it was the responsibility of the Pakistan government to raise its voice over the atrocities of Indian troops. He said that the silence of the government had disappointed the Kashmiris who were actually fighting Pakistan’s war.

He said if the Muslim states forged unity on the issue and took steps at the diplomatic level, it could greatly help stop the bloodletting in Kashmir.

The JI chief said that India was continuing the genocide of Kashmiris but the Muslim world was a silent spectator.

He said the United Nations and human rights bodies were totally indifferent to the situation for it was the blood of the Muslims that was being shed.

He said that the 800,000 Indian troops in held Kashmir had not been able to crush the Kashmiris spirit for liberation, nor they would succeed in their designs.

The PTI resolutions condemned the use of chemical weapons against Kashmiris and called for severing diplomatic ties with India.

The PTI parliamentarians demanded that the Pakistan government should raise the Kashmiris’ demand at international forums.

PTI leaders Aleem Khan and Dr Yasmin Rashid also addressed party workers and said the whole nation was standing by Kashmiris.

They said the world community should persuade the Indian government to withdraw its troops from the valley.

PTI’s Azad Kashmir chief and AJK Assembly member Ghulam Mohiuddin Dewan, announced holding a demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club today (Tuesday) to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.

Speaking at a news conference at PTI’s Kashmir secretariat here on Monday, party leaders Mr Dewan and Ejaz Chaudhry said thousands of Kashmiris had lost their eyesight after becoming victims to pallet guns being used by the Indian forces.

Mr Chaudhry appealed to party chairman Imran Khan to give a call to observe Black Day to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Ejaz Kiyani, PML-N leader Raja Sher Zaman, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front’s Sardar Anwar and Hurriyat leader Mushtaq Ahmad also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2018