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Zardari assures APHC of Pakistan support

By Habib Khan Ghori in Dawn, Dec 21

KARACHI, Dec 20: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday reiterated Pakistan`s resolve to continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their struggle for right to selfdetermination.

During a meeting here with a seven-member delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Mr Zardari said people of Kashmir had been rendering great sacrifices for freedom and their right to self-determination.

According to presidential spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar, the president said Pakistan firmly believed that a meaningful, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement with India would help create conducive environment to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

He said that finding amicable and just solutions to all outstanding issues was important for Pakistan and India to ensure lasting peace, stability and development in the region.

The president recalled his meeting with Mirwaiz Farooq in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and said engagement with the APHC leadership was a positive development and recognition of the just cause of the people of Kashmir.

He praised the efforts of the Hurriyat leadership for highlighting the Kashmir issue at various global forums and caHed upon the international community to focus its attention to the troubles of Kashmiris who had been waging a struggle for their right to self-determination for over six decades and suffered huge losses and human rights violations.

Mirwaiz Farooq thanked the president for Pakistan`s support for the Kashmir cause. Other APHC leaders in the delegation were Maulana Abbas Ansari, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Agha Syed Hasan Al Moosvi and Mussadig AdiL PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Minister for Kashmir and GilgitBaltistan Affairs Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo also attended the meeting.

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