PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq has said that Kashmir is a matter of life and death for the nation and Pakistan will have to fight for the people of India-held Kashmir.

Addressing a ‘youth leadership convention’ here on Sunday, he said that Pakistan had no choice but to fight for the liberation of the held valley where over eight million human beings had been under curfew for the last 57 days.

“Pakistan has no other option but to fight decisive war with India to liberate Kashmir,” said Senator Sirajul Haq. The convention was attended by a large number of youth. JI provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan also addressed the event.

JI chief says Kashmir can’t be liberated through emotional speeches

Mr Siraj said that Pakistan Army was battle-hardened force and it should make decision in accordance with the choice of people of occupied Kashmir and the prevailing situation. Expressing concerns over the prevailing situation in Kashmir, he said that soldiers had been deployed in front of every home in the occupied valley.

The JI chief said that people were not allowed to take patients to hospitals or visit graveyards to bury dead due to curfew. He said that Indian army had started genocide in held valley while leaders of Islamic countries were giving awards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Commenting over Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech at the UN General Assembly, he said that late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Gen Ziaul Haq had also addressed that forum but did not make impact. He said that Kashmir could not be liberated through emotional speeches.

“If Pakistan does not fight the war in Srinagar and India, then it will be fought in Lahore and Islamabad,” said Mr Siraj. He added that foreign policy of the government failed. He criticised statement of Imran Khan in which he said that only traitors would cross Line of Control.

The JI chief alleged that the present setup was the most inefficient and corrupt government in the history of the country. He said that national economy was on the verge of collapse and the government levied tax on shroud.

He said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf disappointed its voters and supporters. He said that Peshawar had been converted into a graveyard. He said that JI youth wing would play lead role in making Pakistan clean and green.

Addressing the convention, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that menace of narcotics was spreading fast among the youth and the provincial government had failed to take action against drug dealers and carriers. He said that the government had taken U-turn on all issues and failed to fulfil its commitments.

He condemned police action against doctors, saying that wrong policies of the government forced doctors, teachers and traders to start protests. He said that the government did not have a plan to provide jobs to youth.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2019