Pakistan can never be a friend of Kashmiris: Senge Sering

Terming Islamabad as a "thief in Gilgit-Baltistan", Senge Hasnan Sering, the Director of the Gilgit-Baltistan National Congress, criticised the country's government for helping the Taliban kill American soldiers, and asserted that Pakistan, which occupies a third of Kashmir, can never be a friend of Kashmiris.

Participating in an interaction organised by the Atlantic Council, a top American think-tank, Sering took apart Pakistani Senate's Defence Committee chairman Mushahid Hussain's argument by exposing in detail Pakistan' acts of atrocities and discrimination on people of Kashmir.

"You occupy one-third of Kashmir, and an occupier cannot be a friend of Kashmir on the other side. You have been exploiting resources in Gilgit-Baltistan. Without paying royalty or compensation, a single penny for the last 70 years, I call you a thief in Gilgit-Baltistan and a thief in Gilgit-Baltistan cannot be a friend in Jammu and Kashmir...The only thing that is good is that the Pakistani Army wants to maintain a status quo because that is a money making machine in Kashmir," he said.

He also alleged that Pakistan has been helping Taliban in killing of US soldiers.

"Next time, since you are on the defence committee, in front of those mothers and wives who have lost their children and husbands and explain to them why you take money from the United States and then give it to Taliban to kill the US soldiers," said Sering.

Terming Syed and Shazra Mansab, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's special Kashmir envoys, as a proxy of Pakistani military not representing Kashmir, the PoK activist said, "Pakistan has proxies in Indian Kashmir, they have weapons and explosives. You come here as a proxy with sweet talk. Every time when the money dries up here, you show up with blackmail, Russia talk, China talk and Iran."

"I request you as to get out of this vicious cycle. Pakistan is not good for any country and it has not done any good for the United States. It is not good for the people of Kashmir," he added.