J&K issue must be resolved as per Kashmiris' aspirations: Pak

On 23 March, Pakistan asserted that the Jammu and Kashmir issue must be resolved as per the "aspirations of Kashmiris", saying it can be suppressed but not quelled.

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit in his Pakistan Day speech at the Embassy here also said that Islamabad wants to have a good and peaceful relationship with New Delhi and resolve all issues.

"Our policy is to promote peace, especially in Asia, where we have tried to have better ties with all our neighbours. These ties must be based on equal footing and loyalty and our efforts have been in that direction," he said.

"As far as the Jammu and Kashmir issue is concerned, it should be resolved as per the aspirations of Kashmiris and hopefully it will be.

"We hope that we will resolve the issue but as per the aspirations of Kashmiris ('unki umangon ke mutabik ho')," he said.

Kashmir has remained a long-standing unresolved issue between the countries causing acrimony on both sides.

Basit went to to say that the aspirations of people "can be suppressed but not quelled ('tarikh gawah hay ki azadi ki tehrik huyin hain unko waqti taur pe dabaya ja sakta lekin...khatam nahin kiya ja sakta')".

"And, I hope the struggle of the Kashmiris will, god willing, prove successful ('jo jaddo jehat Kashmiri kar rahen hayn, wo inshallah kamyab ho')," he said, but did not elaborate.

When later asked as to what he meant by "aspirations", Basit just said, "Whatever people of the Valley want, we should go by that."

Pakistan Day or Pakistan Resolution Day is a national holiday in Pakistan that commemorates the Lahore Resolution passed on March 23, 1940.

Basit spoke in Urdu at the ceremony held at the embassy premises to mark the day, which also coincides with the adoption of the first constitution of that country during its transition as a Dominion to an Islamic Republic in 1956.

"Pakistan since its inception has faced a lot of troubles, both internally and externally, but as a nation we are resolved to rise together," he said.

Before Basit's speech, messages of President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were also read out by the deputy high commissioner Syed Haider Shah.

Auditor-General of Pakistan Rana Assad Amin was among the guests invited for the occasion. .

When asked about the case of the two Nizamuddin clerics, who had gone missing in Pakistan under mysterious circumstances, Basit remained tightlipped.

Nazim Ali Nizami and 80-year-old Syed Asif Nizami, Sajjadanashin of Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, who returned to Delhi on Monday, have also not been forthcoming about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.

"We (Pakistan) did our bit and helped them and they are back. If they are not very forthcoming (about the incident) how can I talk on their behalf," Basit said.

On the day of the return, Sajid Nizami, son of Asif Nizami, had alleged that the duo was "taken away" after a news report appeared in a Karachi-based Urdu daily which claimed they had links with Indian external intelligence agency RAW.

The clerics and their family had thanked both the India and Pakistan for the help extended in ensuring their return.

Basit, in his speech also praised 'Quaid-e-Azam' Mohammad Ali Jinnah, saying, "It is now incumbent on us to work for the safety of the country founded by him."

Students of Pakistan High Commission School sang songs and presented through dance the journey of creation of Pakistan.

"As soon as it (Pakistan) came into being, it had to face various challenges. We still have challenges to meet, but we will continue to rise and shine," Basit said.