Rawalpindi (Web Desk) Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa presided over the Corps Commanders Conference held at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), military leadership affirmed Pakistan Army’s support for the Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom and said it is prepared to go to “any extent to fulfill its obligations” in this regard.
The ISPR statement said, “The forum fully supported the government’s rejection of Indian actions regarding Kashmir. Pakistan never recognised the sham Indian efforts to legalise its occupation of Jammu & Kashmir through article 370 or 35-A decades ago; efforts which have now been revoked by India itself,”
“Pakistan Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end. We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfill our obligations in this regard,” the ISPR quoted General Bajwa as saying.
The Corps Commanders Conference came a day after the Indian government abolished Article 370 of the constitution which granted special status to Indian-occupied Kashmir.
On July 5, BJP's government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which grants special status to Indian held Kashmir.
President Ram Nath Kovind signed this notification after India’s Home Minister Amit Shah formally proposed revoking the article which gave J&K autonomy over its affairs, except in foreign affairs, defence, and communication.
The development allows anyone from India to buy land in the disputed Muslim-majority region and comes into effect immediately.
If the special status is repealed, people from the rest of India would have the right to acquire property in occupied Kashmir and settle there permanently.
Kashmiris fear this would lead to a demographic transformation of region from majority Muslim to majority Hindu.
Meanwhile, a joint session of Parliament summoned by President Dr Arif Alvi also met at Parliament House in Islamabad to discuss the situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir.