Pakistani envoy to explain Kashmir situation to the Arab states
Regional, Politics, 7/2/1999

Abdelmajid Malek, Pakistani federal minister in charge of Kashmir affairs, said on Thursday he came to Morocco with a message from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to King Hassan II. This is a part of a tour that already took him to Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia to explain to these countries' leaders the developments of the situation in Kashmir.

"I came to Morocco, as envoy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to explain to His Majesty the King the situation that currently prevails in Kashmir," Malek told MAP.

Malek, who served as his country's ambassador to Morocco between 1976 and 1979, said Islamabad and Rabat have always been bound by ties of friendship and brotherhood. He expressed gratitude to the Moroccan people and leaders for the affection that have always harbored for Pakistan.

Touching on the 50-year-old Kashmir issue, the official recalled that the United Nations has adopted a resolution on the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination. But the resolution never came to being. He urged the U.N. to intervene in an efficient manner to settle the problem.

Malek renewed his country's attachment to peace and to the settlement to the conflict through negotiation and dialogue. "The Kashmir issue should be settled through discussions and not by force," he underlined.

The official called on India to accept mediation to help find a solution that will save the whole of south-east Asia from a devastating war. He added that Pakistan accepts mediation, while India refuses this proposal.

Regarding the allegations on "infiltrators," Malek said "those are freedom fighters struggling for their dignity and right." "Nobody can ask a freedom fighter why he fights."

The official also strongly denied the presence of Taliban and Afghan fighters in Kashmir. "People who fight India in the area are indigenous people," he said.

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