Opposition parties slam PM’s proposal to hold Kashmir referendum

LAHORE/KARACHI: The leadership of opposition parties on Saturday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise to the Kashmiris to hold a referendum so they could decide whether they wanted to live with Pakistan or as an independent nation.

On Friday, while campaigning in Tarar Khal for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) election campaign ahead of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s legislative assembly election, the Prime Minister said after the UN mandated plebiscite, his government would hold another referendum, where the people of Kashmir would be given the choice to either live with Pakistan or become an independent state.

Leader of opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari both separately criticised the proposal on Saturday. In a statement, Shahbaz said: “Imran Khan Niazi is deviating from Pakistan’s historical and constitutional position by proposing a referendum. The entire nation rejects anything other than Pakistan’s historic[al] position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and UN Security Council resolutions,” Shahbaz said.

Shahbaz said Khan’s statement “proved the concerns” that have already come before the nation with the Indian measures of August 5, 2019. “The Jammu and Kashmir dispute will be decided according to a transparent and independent plebiscite held under the auspices of the United Nations and this is the position of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir.”

The PML-N president said imposing a solution on Kashmiris without their consent and consultation “is tantamount to helping India and betraying the Kashmir cause”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also voiced his opposition to the Prime Minister’s stance on Kashmir at a press conference at the Sindh Assembly auditorium, saying: “Whenever Khan Sahib opens his mouth on Kashmir, he makes mistakes.” He also said the Prime Minister “thinks Kashmiris are fools and could be sold”. He added: “Khan Sahib should understand: he has not acquired this seat legitimately and yet he is still sitting in it.

“When the Prime Minister of Pakistan speaks of a referendum, it has an effect. If your argument supports Modi’s stance, supports those who stand against Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, then at the very least keep quiet.” He said for the past two years, the Prime Minister had not done anything for the Kashmiri people. He criticised the Prime Minister’s “failure” to hold pro-Kashmir walks every Friday — which he said lasted only one Friday.

He said Khan promised the Kashmiris he would be their ambassador, but instead “he is Kulbhushan’s advocate”. “We are all aware of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s hypocrisy, his U-turns and his lies.”

When asked about this, the information minister said the Prime Minister is the biggest supporter of Kashmiris, which is why Indians “are after his phone and trying to hack it”.