Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan Chapter, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, terming his death an irreparable loss for the Kashmiri people.

Ghulam Muhammad Safi, in a condolence message, said that the late Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry discharged his responsibilities as Prime Minister and later as President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir with sincerity, dignity, integrity and a strong sense of national consciousness. He said the deceased genuinely represented the emotions, aspirations and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people and consistently kept the Kashmir issue at the centre of his political struggle.

He said the late president forcefully, logically and effectively highlighted the Kashmir dispute at international forums, awakened the global conscience and raised a strong voice at every level for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.He added that Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry fearlessly exposed India’s oppressive, illegal and colonial actions in occupied Jammu and Kashmir without succumbing to any pressure or expediency.

Ghulam Muhammad Safi described the late leader as a prudent politician, a shrewd diplomat and a true torchbearer of the Kashmir cause, whose services would remain a shining chapter in the history of the Kashmir freedom movement. He said that under his leadership, the struggle for freedom of Kashmir gained renewed strength and direction at moral, political and diplomatic levels.

Meanwhile, senior Vice Chairman Jammu and Kashmir National Front, Altaf Hussain Wani, in a statement in Islamabad also expressed his profound gratitude to Pakistan, its people, and leadership for observing solidarity with the Kashmiri people. The National Front leader said that Solidarity Day stands as a testament to Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Kashmir and its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)