European Parliament to hold debate on Kashmir tomorrow: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday that the European Parliament would hold a debate on the Kashmir issue tomorrow (Tuesday).

The foreign minister made the statement while he was speaking to a private television. He said that the Indian stance on the issue of occupied Kashmir had been rejected by international media.

“Kashmiris are protesting all over the world against the atrocities of the Indian government in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

In another statement, the foreign minister called on the Indian authorities to release the detained Hurriyat leadership.

Tensions have soared between the two nuclear-armed nations after India revoked Article 370 of its constitution. The article recognised occupied Kashmir as a special territory. Its revocation, preceded by heavy deployment of Indian troops in the valley, meant that India has illegally annexed the territory.

Pakistan reacted sharply to the news, downgrading ties with New Delhi and suspending trade with India. Prime Minister Khan has been verbally attacking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since the article was revoked on August 5.

Khan has likened Modi to Adolf Hitler and the BJP to the Nazi Party that condemned millions of innocents to brutal slaughter.