The Pakistani Consulate in Jeddah marked the Kashmir Solidarity Day in a function on Friday. The message conveyed at the event was that Pakistan stands hand-in-hand with the people of Kashmir until they get their right of self-determination. Chief guest Abdullah Al-Alam, assistant secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and representative for Kashmir Desk, said: “It is indeed an encouraging sign that India has proposed foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan. This is a major breakthrough in relations between the two countries”. He said the OIC has always extended moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir. Masud Puri, president of Azad Kashmir Committee, Jeddah, said the people of Pakistan support the struggle of the Kashmiri people. Azad Kashmir president honored Last week, the Azad Kashmir Committee in Jeddah honored Raja Zulqaranian Khan, president of Azad Kashmir, in a meeting in Jeddah attended by members of the Committee, Pakistani welfare consul M.N.Wattoo and members of the Pakistani community and media. In reply to a question by Saudi Gazette about terrorism in Azad Kashmir, Khan said that terrorism has engulfed Pakistan. “The suicide attacks by terrorists are to destabilize Pakistan. Terrorists have not even spared Azad Kashmir as they targeted Muzaffarabad and Rawalkot. However, the Pakistan Army's efforts to eliminate terrorism are being successful. Peace will soon prevail in Pakistan,” he said. Khan said the rehabilitation of Kashmir after the catastrophic earthquake in 2005 continues despite that all the promised aid was not received. “The destruction in Kashmir due to the earthquake was far greater than that in Haiti. About 3.5 million people were homeless and four districts of Azad Kashmir were completely damaged. The problems faced by the Kashmiris will soon be solved,” Khan said.
