SRINAGAR, Sept 26: Terming Kashmir as the “biggest failure” of the United Nations, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that his country will continue to support the cause of Kashmiris and their right to self-determination.
President Zardari, the son-in-law of former president, late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who is known for his fiery speeches on Kashmir, was addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Zardari was accompanied by Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
“We will continue to support the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to peacefully choose their destiny in accordance with the UN Security Council’s long-standing resolutions on this matter. Kashmir remains a symbol of the failures, rather than strengths, of the UN system. We feel that resolution of these issues can only be arrived in an environment of cooperation,” said Zardari.
India and Pakistan have of late been involved on various fronts, particularly trade and commerce, to improve bilateral relations. Recently their visa control was relaxed, a significant move to ease tensions over Kashmir, a region which both the nuclear foes claim in full but rule only in parts.
Zardari said that his discussions with the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh over the recent years have been “encouraging”.
“We approach our relations with India on mutual trust. The contacts between our leadership are expanding. I was encouraged by my discussions with the Prime Minister of India last month in Tehran, who I met for the fifth time in four years,” he said.
(with inputs from agencies)
