Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Monday said Pakistan’s engagement with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference was recognition of just cause of the people of Kashmir.Talking to a seven-member delegation of the APHC, led by its chairman Mir Waiz Umer Farooq here at the PM’s House, he said Pakistan desired resolution of the issue according to the United Nations’ resolutions and aspiration of its people.

He termed interaction with the Hurriyat Conference a positive sign and said there was consensus among all political parties in Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. He alluded to the appointment of veteran political leaders, the late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the Kashmir Committee chairmen.The prime minister said Pakistan took pride in the indigenous struggle waged by the people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination.

We praise the political acumen and wisdom of the Hurriyat leadership to highlight the cause of the people of Kashmir,” he said.The prime minister praised the vision, wisdom and the patience that the Kashmiri leaders had demonstrated in highlighting the cause of the Kashmiri people and said, “Pakistan fully supports them. Mir Waiz Umer Farooq thanked the prime minister for welcoming the delegation at the Prime Minister’s House and said the people of Kashmir valued the unconditional support of the government and the people of Pakistan.

Other members of the delegation were Maulana Abbas Ansari, Itteha-ul-Muslimeen, Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat of Muslim Conference, Bilal Ghani Lone ofJ&K People’s Conference, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza of J&K People’s League, Agha Syed Hasan Al-Moosvi of J&K Anjuman-e-Sahri-Shian and Musaddiq Adil of J&K People’s Political Front. Hina Rabbani Khar, Qamar Zaman Kaira and other senior government officials were present during the meeting. The prime minister said that the engagement with Hurriyat Conference is a positive development and a recognition of the just cause of the people of Kashmir.Meanwhile,

ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan who is also the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman also supported right to self-determination of Kashmiris and assured the APHC delegation of his party’s support for peaceful solution to f the problem. Talking to the visiting APHC delegation, the ANP president said it was the right of every nation to decide about its future and urged the UN to play its role on its resolutions on Kashmir. 

Later, the APHC delegation also met PML-Q President Shujjat Hussain and Secretary General Mushahid  Hussain. Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Prevez Elahi also attended the meeting. Both the sides exchanged views on the Kashmir issue.Officials said the APHC leaders were holding discussions as part of consultation process with the Pakistani political leadership on the Kashmir dispute and briefing the people from different quarters about the prevailing situation in the Indian-held Kashmir.