MALE: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani called on Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom here at the presidential palace, according to a press release issued here on Monday.
Accompanied by Senator Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, Senator Najmul Hassan and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Maldives, Senate chairman said that Pakistan was a peace loving country and desired peace for stability, wellbeing and alleviating poverty in the South Asian region.
He regretted that India continued to sponsor state terrorism in Pakistan. He informed the Maldives president that recently a serving Indian navel commander Kulbhushan Yadav was arrested in Pakistan who was involved with his network in fostering unrest in Pakistan.
This along with other steps being taken by India clearly showed its expansion designs in the region, he said.
Pakistan despite these provocative actions looks for a lasting peace in the region for which the Jammu Kashmir issue needs to be resolved in line with the UN resolutions, he said. The Senate chairman highlighted the violation of human rights and international law by India’s military and paramilitary forces in the disputed state of Jammu Kashmir.
He brought to the notice of President Abdulla about the use of pellet bullets and the loss of eyesight of the innocent children. Over 90 days have been passed and the disputed state continued to be under curfew, innocent men, women and children have lost their lives, he said.
He also said that the Kashmiri people were demanding the implementation of the UN resolutions, granting them the right to self-determination. Rabbani said that Pakistan noted Maldives’ decision of leaving commonwealth and respected it, as it was a sovereign country’s decision.
He further said that the commonwealth was an important organisation and constructive engagements should continue in this regard. The Senate chairman stressed upon improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and Maldives and called for a reassessment of the role of SAARC, particularly keeping in view the attitude of India.
