Sharif vows to provide medical aid to those injured in Kashmir

In yet another bid to highlight the Kashmir issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today vowed to provide medical help to those injured in violence there and called on the international community to ask India to provide access for treatment of victims.
Two days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the SAARC meeting here asked countries to stop glorifying terrorists as martyrs, Sharif described the Kashmir situation as an "ongoing humanitarian crisis".
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called upon the international community to immediately help arrange medical treatment for the victims" in Kashmir, especially for treatment of eye injuries resulting from use of pellet guns by the Indian forces, a Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.

"The Prime Minister conveyed Pakistan's unequivocal support in arranging best available medical facilities to these injured people, anywhere in the world," it said.
Sharif also called upon the international community to exercise its influence over India for "ending bloodshed" in Kashmir and providing access for provision of treatment to the victims in the wake of the "ongoing humanitarian crisis".
"The humanitarian crisis, which is of huge magnitude, has compelled us to immediately pool our material and human resources for treating the victims of brutal state oppression," the statement quoted Sharif as saying.

"Even more gruesome is that healthcare providers" in Kashmir have not been allowed to treat innocent victims, Sharif alleged.

He claimed that "the Indian forces have also been targeting the hospitals and ambulances providing healthcare to the peaceful, defenceless and innocent protesters".
Sharif said that being blinded has severe consequences for the victims and their families.
"Nevertheless, they are resolute; they are guided by the light of freedom for the realisation of their right to self-determination. The world should realise this," he said.
Pakistan shall continue to support them morally, politically and diplomatically, the Prime Minister said.
Sharif's call came a day after his Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz wrote a letter to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) to help Kashmiris.

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Sharif said that his government has a stated policy on Afghanistan which he expressed from the day first after assuming the responsibilities as Prime Minister.
"We have conveyed to the leadership of Afghanistan that the enemies of Afghanistan are the enemies of Pakistan and we have stood by our words," he said.
The Prime Minister said that even yesterday Pakistan announced an assistance of USD 500 million in addition to an earlier assistance of USD 500 million for Afghanistan to help them overcome problems and achieve stability.
"We genuinely believe that stability in Afghanistan is crucial for achieving stability in our own country and the region," added the Prime Minister.

"I myself and the Chief of Army Staff visited Afghanistan and always assured them of our fullest cooperation to root out the menace of terrorism which is a common enemy for both the countries," said Sharif.
The Prime Minister further said that the Pakistani civil and military leadership are in touch with Afghani leadership and have been facilitating the reconciliation process on the request of Afghan government.
"We believe that the Afghan led and Afghan owned reconciliation process is vital for achieving long term peace and stability in Afghanistan," he said.
General Peter Pavel said that Pakistan is an important and traditional partner of NATO.

Chairman Military Committee NATO said that by the virtue of its size Pakistan can play an important role in the region.
"We expect a broader political framework agreement between Pakistan and NATO to unlock further mutual military cooperation," said General Peter Pavel.
Pavel said that his meetings with all the services Chiefs and others were highly satisfactory.