"Their movement for freedom cannot be stopped and it will be successful. You are aware of how they are being beaten and killed." - Nawaz Sharif
Pakistan is waiting for the day Kashmir becomes its part, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said today after his party PML-N swept PoK's legislative assembly elections. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarabad, Sharif said, "We are waiting for the day Kashmir becomes (part of) Pakistan." In his first public address following his return from London after an open-heart surgery in May, Sharif urged Kashmiris "not to forget those in Kashmir who are sacrificing their lives for their movement for freedom".
"Their movement for freedom cannot be stopped and it will be successful. You are aware of how they are being beaten and killed. All our prayers are with them and we are waiting for the day Kashmir becomes (part of) Pakistan," Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn News. PML-N is set to form the next government in PoK as the unofficial results of the election for 41 direct seats of the legislative assembly yesterday suggested a landslide victory for the party.
"I saw the election results at night and thought that if our victory is evident, I will travel to Muzaffarabad to congratulate my brothers and sisters. I was told to go tomorrow or day after tomorrow, but said I can't wait, I want to go tonight," he said.
The Premier thanked the people of PoK for their support, conveying his gratitude to the crowd for their prayers for his recovery.
He slammed those engaging in "negative politics" against the PML-N and congratulated the people for voting for the party.
Prime Minister Sharif's party emerged victorious in the assembly elections held yesterday in which a total of 26 political parties and 423 candidates took part.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which won the last polls, could only manage to win two seats while cricketer-turned- politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also got as many with the Muslim Conference bagging three.
It was expected that there would be a stiff competition between the three mainstream parties -- Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), PPP and Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf but the PML-N routed them, stunning political pundits.
A total of 2.674 million Kashmiris exercised their right to franchise yesterday to elect members for the PoK Legislative Assembly, which will be the ninth since the parliamentary form of government was introduced there in 1975.
While the region is spread over 14,245 square kilometres, the polling process is not restricted to this area and instead stretches to entire Pakistan because members for 12 out of the 41 directly elected seats are elected by 438,884 voters living in various parts of the country. Some 12 are reserved for refugees from Kashmir in Pakistan.
Stop supporting terrorism in J&K: India to Pakistan
India lashed out at Pakistan for "inciting and supporting" terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and instead asked it to vacate its illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (POK).
In a sharp reaction over anti-India rallies being held in Pakistan and other statements emanating from there over the situation in Kashmir, External Affairs Ministry said India strongly condemns encouragement and support to UN-designated terrorists and their activities from Pakistan.
Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said that in view of the threats of marches and protests at the High Commission of India in Islamabad, Pakistan should ensure full safety and security of Indian officials and their families there.
"We have seen reports about rallies, events and statements related to J&K in Pakistan and POK over the last two days. We have also noted that the events were led by UN- designated terrorists, who had in the past protested the elimination of dreaded terrorists including Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour in Pakistan.
"India strongly condemns the encouragement and support which such terrorists and their activities receive from Pakistan s state.
"We once again ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of our country and refrain from its deplorable meddling in our internal affairs in any manner," the Spokesperson said.
Asserting that the observance of 'Kashmir s Accession to Pakistan Day' exposes Pakistan s longing for the territory of J&K, Swarup said,"India demands that Pakistan must fulfil the obligation to vacate its illegal occupation of POK." India also asked Pakistan to stop "misleading the international community and Kashmiris through meaningless exercises such as the so-called elections today in POK which Pakistan ironically calls Azad (free).
At least 43 people have died and more than 3,000 have been injured in the violence that erupted in Kashmir after the killing of 22-year-old terrorist Burhan Wani by security forces on July 8. India has accused Pakistan of not only pushing in terrorists but also fanning discontent within the Valley by providing support to terrorist outfits in fomenting the recent trouble in Kashmir.
Pakistan used Wani's killing to needle India at the United Nations and issued statements where it accused India of atrocities in Kashmir. Pakistan also observed 'Black Day' on July 19 to express solidarity with the people of the Valley over the killing of Wani.
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