Nawaz Sharif chairs all-party meet on LoC, Kashmir issue

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday chaired a meeting of the heads of parliamentary parties in the National Assembly to discuss the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Kashmir issue.

The meeting was convened with the one-point agenda to send a "clear message to the outside world" regarding situation along the LoC as well as "Indian atrocities" in Kashmir, Dawn online reported.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry briefed the leaders about the latest situation in Kashmir and the LoC.

According to Radio Pakistan, Chaudhry said that Islamabad "continues to adopt policy of non-interference" in Kashmir.

The parliamentary leaders declared that the entire nation stands together when it comes to Kashmir issue and the Indian aggression.

Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said: "Despite our differences with the government on multiple issues, we are with you, Prime Minister."

The PPP supports Sharif and the party has taken "a clear stance on these issues". Zardari told the leaders that current tension between the two countries "is a turning point in Pak-India relations".

"There is no military solution to Kashmir."

Chief of Jamaat-e-Islaami Siraj ul Haq congratulated Sharif for organising the meeting, He said that Sharif's speech at the UN General Assembly reflected the emotions of Pakistani people.

According to Haq, under the present circumstances the party was with the government, the military and the people of Pakistan.

The leaders also decided to send delegations to countries to highlight the Kashmir issue.

Chaudhry briefing the leaders said: "Pakistan wants peace and Kashmir and other bilateral issues should be discussed with India."

He denied the Indian claim of surgical strikes and dismissed New Delhi's allegations against Islamabad regarding the September 18 attack at an Army camp in Uri town of Kashmir, which left 19 security personnel dead, as "baseless".

India has blamed Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group for the attack.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Sheireen Mazari represented the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, while Farooq Sattar represented the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the conference.

Qureshi said the PTI was with "the government on the Kashmir issue. The present government tried very hard to improve relations with India. Unfortunately India did not respond with the same vigour."

The country's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Khan were also present.

The meeting comes after tension between India and Pakistan escalated following recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes to destroy terror launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

--IANS

py/rn