PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq has expressed reservations over the government’s stance on the India-held Kashmir, saying that Pakistan should not trust US President Donald Trump’s reconciliation offer.

Addressing a big rally titled “Kashmir Bachao Awami March” here on Sunday, he said that JI would not accept the government policy on Kashmir and it seemed that deal on occupied valley was finalised in advance. He said that India put political leadership of the held valley behind the bars while thousands of civilians had gone missing.

The JI chief said that people of Kashmir were looking towards Pakistan while the government was seeking mediation from Donald Trump. He advised the government against involving the US in the issue and urged it to take bold stance. He said that it was a serious matter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plane violated Pakistan’s airspace.

The rally was taken out from Grand Trunk Road that culminated at Khyber Bazaar after passing through different localities. The venue was decorated with banners inscribed with anti-India slogans and Kashmir flags.

“If Kashmir is lost, the entire Pakistan will be deserted,” said Siraj. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan should clarify his statement regarding large scale massacre in the held valley. He criticised the ruler of United Arab Emirates for inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and giving him the country’s highest civilian award “Order of Zayed Medal.”

The JI chief said that the UAE ruler had shown disloyalty towards Muslim Ummah by giving his country’s highest award at a time when India had converted the entire valley into prison and Modi had started massacre of Muslims.

He urged Islamic countries not to remain silent over the situation in Kashmir and put pressure on India to stop atrocities in the occupied valley.

Mr Siraj said that JI would appear in the held valley if the government showed lethargy and leniency on Kashmir issue. He said that thousands of Kashmiris had laid down their lives during freedom struggle. He termed Kashmir a matter of life and death for Pakistan.

The JI chief said that educational institutions had been closed in Kashmir and continuous curfew had crippled life there. He said that if the government did not take practical steps for the liberation of Kashmir then JI would decide its future line of action.

Addressing the rally, JI provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that the government’s so-called diplomatic efforts did not put any impact on the Kashmir issue.

He said that Pakistan had only expelled Indian high commissioner while its high commission was still functioning.

He said that JI strongly condemned the government’s ‘failed’ diplomacy regarding Kashmir.

He said that Modi’s plane was flying over Pakistan but Prime Minister Imran Khan was unaware of it. He said that Kashmir would never be liberated through tweets.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2019