Kashmir support to continue — Sharif

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif marked Pakistan's 51st independence anniversary on Friday with a pledge of contin...

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif marked Pakistan’s 51st independence anniversary on Friday with a pledge of continued support for separatists fighting India in Kashmir. Speaking in the Capital, Islamabad, Sharif said in his nationally televised address on the morning of Independence Day that violence in Kashmir “would force India to come to the negotiation table”.

He also said that they were ready to discuss all outstanding issues with India but asserted that peace and security and the Kashmir issues be given priority in view of nuclearisation of South Asia. “We are prepared to address and resolve all outstanding issues through a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue to enable the two countries to focus their energies and resources on the well-being of their people,” Sharif said in a message to his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the occasion of India’s Independence Day.

Sharif congratulated his countrymen on Pakistan achieving nuclear status and said that the 51stanniversary was “particularly significant” because Pakistan had become a nuclear power.

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“We hold our heads high as we have stood up to aggressive designs,” said Sharif.

Addressing a gathering of parliamentarians, politicians, diplomats, school children and journalists, Sharif said the future boded well for Pakistan. In the background was a huge painting of Sharif in front of the Chagi Hills, a reference to the Pakistan PM’s decision to go nuclear.

Talking about Pakistan’s relations with India, the Pakistani premier said international pressure on India was mounting to talk on the issue of Kashmir. Sharif said that moral support to the fighters in Kashmir “would continue”. He said that Pakistanis prayed for the well being of the Kashmiris “every day”. The Pakistan premier paid glowing tributes to the Kashmiri separatists and said that they were fighting “for the greater glory of Islam”.

However, Independence Day celebrations in Karachi, the country’s capital, was marred by violence asunidentified gunmen attacked a school in a Karachi suburb and wounded seven children.

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No group has yet claimed responsibility for the shooting in the school. Police have called it a terrorist attack aimed at wrecking the Independence’s Day celebrations.