AGENCY
Islamabad: Pakistan is waiting for the day Kashmir becomes its part, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Friday 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 on Saturday or after that , 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.
Hafiz Saeed warns India; admits links with Burhan, Asiya Andrabi
ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has confirmed that he has links with firebrand separatist leader Asiya Andrabi and was also in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter on July 8 in Kashmir.
An exclusive video released by news agency ANI shows the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind addressing Andrabi as his sister. Andrabi is Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief.
Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) is a radical women’s organisation. DeM, led by Asiya Andrabi, has been hoisting Pakistani flags every year to mark Pakistan Day and Independence Day of the country on August 14. In the sensational video, Saeed, an United Nations designated terrorist, is seen revealing that Burhan Wani called him a few days before his death and said his last wish was to “talk to me”.
The JuD chief is further heard saying that Wani told him that his wish has been fulfilled and he was now ready for martyrdom. The video was shot during JuD’s rally “Kashmir Caravan” which was held from Lahore to Islamabad to protest against the unrest and deaths in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
Saeed said that he had a word with ‘sister’ Andrabi who was crying for 15 minutes. “I told her do not cry, we are on our way,” the JuD chief was seen saying.
He warned the Indian establishment to accept Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s 4 point Kashmir solution, or “be ready for war”. Kashmir has been witnessing huge protests ever since Wani was gunned down by the security forces.
