Siegfried Bracke, the Speaker of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, published a short report on his personal website of the visit of the Pakistani parliamentary delegation to the Belgian Chamber. He writes: “the representatives asked for more attention for the conflict in the Kashmir region. For many years there is a war going on in that region between India and Pakistan.”
“According to Pakistan, the distressing situation is too little known in the international community. The delegation will discuss the matter with the European Union. I emphasized the need for dialogue and mutual understanding.”
Earlier MO, an influential international news website of Belgium, also qouted point of view of Mr Sartaj Aziz on Pak- India relations and Kashmir issue. Based on a talk by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affiars Sartaj Aziz, at the European Institute of Asian Studies and his personal interaction with the adviser, Editor in Chief of MO Gie Goris has qouted Aziz in his article saying “The roots of the tension between Pakistan and India are in the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir”. Following are excerpts from the article that was published on 5th October.
In his speech to the European Institute for Asian Studies last Tuesday, Sartaj Aziz stated that the phenomenal rise of China and the recently improved relations with Russia has given Pakistan finally the chance to take advantage of its geographic location. However, this positive trend was thwarted by India’s relentless pressure on Pakistan”.
Sartaj Aziz described this pressure as “Supporting terror campaigns in Pakistan to encourage separatism [a reference to Indian support for the armed rebellion in Baluchistan] or the breaking of the cease-fire on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent Pakistani of deploying more troops at its Afghan border.” He added also that India exerts direct military pressure on Pakistan by deploying advanced weapons systems, placing offensive forces and by military exercises along the border in order to increase the capacity in case of a surprise attack –as described in the Cold Start Doctrine.
He continued: “It is also regrettable that India is so openly opposed the Pakistan China Economic Corridor (CPEC), with the only obvious reason that it would hinder the economic development of Pakistan. India’s inclination to use violence against civilians in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK) and its refusal to discuss this conflict with Pakistan locks the two countries in an endless conflict. ”
“The roots of the tension between Pakistan and India are in the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir”, said Sartaj Aziz. “Unfortunately, India answers to the Kashmiri movement for self-determination with denial and delusion. India denies a legitimate and popular freedom struggle in Kashmir by declaring the region as an “integral part” of the country. India lives under the illusion that the Kashmiri uprising is terrorism. Based on this denial and delusion India holds Pakistan responsible for the crisis in Kashmir occupied by India while continuing its serious human rights violations. ”
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