Pak to launch 10-day campaign to highlight Kashmir issue: Qureshi

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday unveiled a 10-day campaign to highlight the Kashmir issue at local and international level.

Addressing a press conference here, Qureshi said the activities will start on January 25, leading up to the mega event on February 5, which Pakistan observes as the Kashmir solidarity day.

"We are launching a program to effectively highlight Kashmir (issue)," he said.

Qureshi said that Islamabad-based diplomatic corps will be invited at the President House on February 4 to apprise them on the situation in Kashmir.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on February 5 and address the Legislative Assembly. He will also address a public gathering in Mirpur later in the day.

Qureshi said that Pakistan was effectively presenting the case of Kashmir despite challenges and influence of India worldwide. "But we have been successful and the UN Security Council twice discussed the issue," he said.

He said that President Donald Trump during his meeting with Prime Minister Khan in Davos this week expressed concern on Kashmir and also said that his concern was conveyed to India.

Qureshi also rejected India's insistence that Kashmir can be only resolved by bilateral means, saying that New Delhi was taking unilateral actions to change the status of Kashmir.

India and Pakistan have been at odds after New Delhi abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two union territories.

Pakistan reacted strongly to India's decision and downgraded bilateral ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter. It has also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.