PoK President urges Joe Biden to intervene in Kashmir conflict

ISLAMABAD: Sardar Masood Khan, the President of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), has called on US President Joe Biden's administration to intervene in resolving the decades-long Kashmir conflict.

In a statement, Khan "called upon the new US administration to play its role in ending plight of the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK)". He demanded the US to compel India to "cease and reverse illicit transfer of the Indian Hindu population". "The least the the US can do is to ask India to cease and reverse illicit transfer of the Indian Hindu population to the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and stop killing unarmed Kashmiris in the occupied territory," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

"Washington has to revise its brief on Kashmir. It thinks that 900,000 Indian military and para-military troops are fighting terrorists in Kashmir. But this is a false premise constructed by India to delude the world."

Khan said that US' intervention should be focused on ending the repression and restoration of "civil liberties and fundamental freedoms in IOJK".

"Being a promoter of the right to self-determination throughout the last century, the US should not stand in the way of Kashmiris' freedom of choice for their political identity as envisaged and mandated by the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions."

He also criticized the UN for its "disappointing" performance on the Kashmir dispute. "The UN's role on Kashmir is disappointing and the UN Secretary General knows it. But his hands are tied. He cannot do much about the issue because the UN Security Council is not moving at all."

The President highlighted that Pakistan's and the PoK's political parties need to first put their complete focus on Kashmir, in order to attract world attention on the conflict.

"Before the world refocuses its attention on Kashmir, the people and political parties of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir will have to do so. The world needs to first witness how intense we Kashmiris and Pakistan are. Their attention will be directly proportionate to our passion and endeavours. (IANS)

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