Int Parliamentary Seminar On Kashmir To Start From Thursday

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Jan, 2017 ) : An unprecedented two-day International Parliamentary Seminar on Kashmir will commence here on January 5 (Thursday). The Seminar is being organized by Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF), National Assembly of Pakistan under the patronage of the Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

According to a press release issued here Tuesday, it was for the first time that the Parliament of Pakistan is hosting an international moot to highlight the important issue of right of self-determination of people of Kashmir.

The event aims to analyze the plight of people of Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) and issues regarding Indian brutalities since the rise of the new wave of self-determination after the martyrdom of Burhan Wani in July 2016.

Various dignitaries comprising around 20 International Member Parliaments and experts from European Parliament, UK, Canada and North America, in addition to 400 national delegates comprising Members Parliament of Pakistan, academia, social scientists, think tanks, international reporters and students, would be the participants of the seminar.

Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the government of Azad Jammu Kashmir are collaborating with the Parliament of Pakistan to convene this seminar on January 5,6, 2017.

Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq envisioned the idea for the Seminar and designated Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, MNA as its convener. Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja also serves as the General Secretary of Young Parliamentarians Forum, National Assembly of Pakistan.

MNA Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Media Coordinator of YPF, will be serving as the Chief Coordinator for the Seminar. At the international or global level, the Kashmir dispute presented itself as a test case for the emerging international peace and security architecture under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council.

UN recognizes Kashmir as a disputed territory. In this regard, several resolutions have been passed and various observer groups have been deployed; yet the dispute continues to linger on. Since 1989, there has been blatant state terrorism on the part of 0.7 million Indian troops who have killed more than 89,000 innocent men, women and children in their just struggle of self- determination in IoK.

The International Parliamentary Seminar will provide a platform to highlight three Primary aspects of the issue; firstly, solution of Kashmir is imperative as it has become a clear issue of humanitarian crisis with thousands killed with phenomenon of mass blinding, mass-graves and half-widows staring in the eyes of humanity to give them their just right of freedom.

Secondly, Kashmir is a disputed territory as per UNSC resolution and a nuclear flashpoint that remains to threaten peace and security of South Asia, the most populated region of the world. It is totally an indigenous and peaceful struggle of people of Indian Occupied Kashmir that the world community needs to recognize and respond to their just movement of right of self-determination.

Keeping in view the importance of this Seminar, Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to inaugurate the session for the formal commencement. The Seminar and its session have been spread over a period two days with debates and talks on various crucial issues.

Welcome address of the opening plenary will be delivered by MNA Shaza Fatima Khawaja, followed by the key note address by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. A speech by Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs will then be delivered.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will deliever his inaugural address as the chief guest. After the inaugural session, first plenary panel discussion would be held on The Role of the United Nations and Major Powers in Kashmir Dispute.

The session would be chaired by Sardar Masood Khan, President of AJK. The second debate/discussion would be held on Kashmir Issue: In perspective of Humanitarian Crisis to be chaired by Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting.

The third intellectually engaging panel discussion titled Pakistan-India relations: Socio-economic & Security Implications would be chaired by Honorable Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan, Prime Minister Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK).

The concluding session of the International Seminar on Kashmir would be addressed by Chairman Senate of Pakistan Mian Raza Rabbani. This session will include the revision & consolidation of points gathered in through plenary sessions. Ms. Romina Khursheed Alam, will deliver the vote of thanks as the official conclusion of the Seminar. APP/kk/kmd � 19:49/20:31/20:31