Nawaz Sharif vows to support struggle of Kashmiri people

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said the world needs to take stock of the plight of Kashmiri people and vowed to support their "indigenous freedom struggle".

Sharif's remarks came as he met Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, the outgoing president of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Prime Minister reiterated his government's firm resolve to extend its fullest moral, diplomatic and political support to the indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiri people.

"The world needs to take stock of the latest brutalities against unarmed innocent Kashmiri people who are heavily sacrificing for attainment of their inalienable right to freedom," he said on the occasion.

Sharif also appreciated the outgoing president for amicably conducting state's affairs during his term in office. The continuity of electoral process has amply strengthened the "democratic system" in PoK, said the Prime Minister.

Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won last month's parliamentary elections in Kashmir.

Sharif already appointed Raja Farooq Haider as prime minister of Kashmir and Masood Khan as president. Both are from PoK.

While Haider is seasoned politician, Khan is career diplomat who served in key positions including Foreign Office spokesperson, ambassador to China and Permanent Representative at the UN.

Former ambassador and career diplomat Masood Khan was today elected as the new president of Pakistani Kashmir. The legislative assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as the region is known in Pakistan, met at capital Muzaffarabad to choose the new president.

Khan, who was nominated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), got 42 votes and was declared as elected.

His opponent Lateef Akbar of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) got just six votes.

The new president is nominated by Sharif but is believed to enjoy the confidence and support of the army.