Kashmir tangle: Imran to address PoK assembly today

ISLAMABAD: To express solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the aftermath of India scrapping the special status granted to the state under Article 370, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan will address the assembly of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in

Muzaffarabad

on August 14.


Khan will then fly back to Islamabad, where he will address a rally of his ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the Indian Parliament’s August 5 decision.

According to the PM’s office, Khan will travel to PoK capital Muzaffarabad by a helicopter on Wednesday morning. A number of federal ministers will also accompany him on his trip.

During the visit, Khan will attend a meeting of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and discuss the current situation with Kashmiri leaders.

Following New Delhi’s move, top Pakistani civil and military leadership had decided that August 14 – Pakistan’s Independence Day – would be observed to express solidarity with

Kashmiris

. It was also decided that the slogan of “Kashmir banega Pakistan (Kashmir will become Pakistan)” would be raised all across the country.

Relations between New Delhi and Islamabad deteriorated since August 5, when India nullified Article 370 and bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories. Islamabad has denounced the changes as “illegal” and, in response, downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi, expelled the Indian ambassador and suspended trade and train services with India