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Journalism of Courage
Amid the ongoing tensions with between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir, a Pakistani leader has said that the abrogation of Article 370 is India’s internal matter and challenged Islamabad to “annex” Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), PTI reported.
An unverified video of Pakistan’s Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain, living in exile in the UK and singing Saare Jahan Se Acha during a live broadcast, has also gone viral on social media.
Hussain, 65, requested asylum in the 1990s and later gained UK citizenship. But he maintains a firm grip over the MQM – one of Pakistan’s biggest political parties – and its main power base, the financial capital of Karachi.
In the live address broadcast on Saturday, Hussain said, “It was the decision of the Indian government with the overwhelming support of the people of India. If Pakistan has the courage, they should also annex PoK into Pakistan.”
“The revocation of Article 370 by the Indian government was absolutely an internal matter of India,” he added.
The MQM leader also said that Pakistan’s civil and military establishments have been misleading and duping the masses of the country over the issue of Kashmir for the past 72 years.
“Pakistan’s military junta and civilian leaders should now stop this drama once and for all or else they should drive the military into the J&K and liberate it,” he said.
“Pakistan misuses Kashmiris and drives them to a corner where they have no choice except to hoist Pakistani flag and chant slogans for making J&K part of Pakistan,” he added.
Some versions of the video publicised by the MQM Secretariat show Hussain singing ‘Sare Jahaan Se Achcha’ as a sign of support for India. However, the exact timing and location of the video remain unverified.
