Joe Biden to seek Kashmir solution if elected: DNC chief

NEW YORK: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez has the assured Pakistani-American community activists that the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden -- if elected -- would contribute in promoting equitable solutions to the outstanding issues of Kashmir and Palestine as well as the growing discrimination against Muslims in India.

Perez gave the assurances in a virtual meeting arranged by the American-Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) with the Biden presidential campaign.

Biden, a former vice president, will face President Donald Trump in the November elections. So far, he is leading Trump in all polls.

Dr Ijaz Ahmed, APPAC’s chairman, welcomed Perez at the start of the Zoom meeting, promising to work closely with him as he highlighted the problems facing Pakistani-Americans and the issues that are uppermost in their mind.

Perez thanked him for the offer of cooperation with the Biden campaign, saying the former president knows very well the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and would seek its resolution. He said Biden believes in a “big table” and would give the country’s minorities adequate representation going forward.

Perez, who sharply criticised the policies and actions of President Trump, said Biden stands for “diversity”. Other community leaders also interacted with Perez during the virtual meeting on wide-ranging issues, especially some of the laws that affect them. During the meeting, a total of $250,000 was raised for Biden’s electoral campaign.