"The issues of Kashmir and Palestine have a common genesis. Owing to this common Genesis, it is important for both the issues to be taken together, as they will reinforce each other," said Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States. "After the US election, there is a lot of expectation that the on-going brutalities in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories will move toward a solution. We believe this will happen. This would again be an opportunity to raise greater awareness about the issue and the need to address it," he added. Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh made these remarks while addressing a gathering of Kashmiri leaders, activists, and members of the Pakistani diaspora who had assembled at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, DC, to commemorate Kashmir Black Day. Messages from President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar were read on the occasion. Recalling various UN resolutions on the issue of Kashmir, Ambassador Rizwan Sheikh highlighted United Nations Security Council Resolution 122, adopted on January 24, 1957, which barred the parties to dispute from taking any unilateral action other than the prescribed solution of a UN-supervised plebiscite. "History is on our side," said the Ambassador, adding, "the historical record is an asset to us, and it needs to be referenced and upheld." "Our job is to keep the flame alive, not to yield under the weight of global politics or economics," stated the Ambassador. He noted that since August 5, the Kashmir issue has increasingly become a legal battle. Reiterating the need for unity, Ambassador Rizwan emphasized the importance of a coalition of relevant people in key capitals ensuring that their pronouncements are legally cogent and coherent. "The case is in our favor. It’s only a matter of the right timing in international politics and economics," he reiterated. The Ambassador also called upon the international community and human rights organizations to play their role in not only highlighting the plight of Kashmiris but also facilitating a solution to the long-standing issue. President of the World Kashmir Awareness Forum, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai; Director of All Neighbours International, Mr. Ilyas Masih; Pastor William Archer, Humanitarian and Theologian at Potomac Valley Church; former ICNA President Mr. Zahid Bukhari; and Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Professor at George Washington University, also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the Kashmiris' legitimate struggle for self-determination. Video messages from Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed; Secretary General of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (UCMO), Mr. Oussama Jammal; Dr. Farhan Chak, Professor of Political Science at Durham University, Canada; and a special documentary on the struggle of the Kashmiri people were also presented. Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh thanked the participants for their commitment and expression of solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
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