Govt not afraid of opposition's march: Qureshi

KHANEWAL: :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said the opposition could exercise its democratic right of protest, but that should be within the rules and regulations.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Khanewal-Abdul Hakim section of Motorway (M-4) at Shamkot on Sunday, he said that protest should not cause damage to the public and private properties, lockdown and blockage of traffic.

He said that the government was not afraid of protests and believes in responding to every opposition allegation in a democratic way.

Speaking about Kashmir,the minister said said  the world has rejected the Indian viewpoint on the Muslim majority region. He said not only Pakistanis but also the international human right organisations were expressing solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had taken up the Kashmir issue at international level effectively, adding that the issue was discussed internationally after 54 years.

The foreign minister said that India had illegally occupied Kashmir on October 27, 1947 and the day is observed as a black day across the country on this date every year.

He recalled that US Senator Chris Van Hollen was not given permission by the Indian government to visit IOJ&K.

The US senator and his delegation, however, visited Azad Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan, he added.

He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought permission from Pakistan to use Pakistani space for his plane, but the government rejected his request.