ISLAMABAD: PML-N central leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has asserted that chaos and sit-ins have never achieved success, while vowing that no party will be allowed to weaken the identity of Kashmir.
Addressing a rally in Islamabad regarding the Azad Kashmir elections, the PML-N leader extended his support to party candidates Hafiz Ahmed Raza Qadri and Raja Siddique, urging for their success. He emphasized that all party members are associated with one party and one ideology. He noted that this election is distinct because, for the first time, the relationship between Kashmir and Pakistan has been questioned.
Rafique maintained that no Pakistani government has ever deviated from the categorical national stance on the Kashmir issue, stating that the stance is based on the division of the subcontinent. He asserted that due to the support of millions of Pakistanis, India cannot move beyond the Line of Control. However, he acknowledged that the current situation in Azad Kashmir has arisen due to the poor performance of the government there.
The PML-N leader pledged that his party will bring a transparent system of governance in Azad Kashmir and that people accused of corruption will not be made part of the government. He highlighted that the Muslim League (N) has always played a role in liberating Kashmiris from Indian rule, increased the budget of Kashmir many times during its tenure, and is responsible for the region’s development work.
Rafique described Azad Kashmir as the base camp of the Kashmir independence movement, warning that its weakness will weaken the wider struggle. He claimed that Pakistani forces forced India to “lick the dust” in the fight for justice. He also pointed to conspiracies being made in Balochistan and Kashmir to weaken Pakistan from within, and stressed that constitutional and legal changes are made in assemblies, not in squares and intersections.
The PML-N leader declared that all available resources meant for the people of Kashmir will be given to them, and that there is a need for representatives in the assembly who can genuinely fight for the people’s cause. He expressed pleasure at seeing the PML-N leadership united in Islamabad, urging them to move forward united, adding, “victory will be yours.”
Khawaja Saad Rafique further stated that these elections are an election for the votes and voting rights of the refugees living in Pakistan, and called on them to maintain their right to vote and identity. In a closing message, he asserted that the day is not far when Kashmir will become Pakistan with their vote, describing this as an election for the ideology and stability of Pakistan.
