Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that the government was “absolutely not afraid” of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) upcoming ‘Azaadi March’.
Talking to reporters in his hometown of Multan, the minister said: “It is their (JUI-F) democratic right but I had said earlier and I repeat that the timing is wrong, the date is not suitable.”
“October 27 is the cursed and black day when India occupied Kashmir. It is the day when Indian forces invaded Kashmir, so the day is observed as a Black Day every year,” he said.
Qureshi added: “The sentiments of the Kashmiri people will be hurt if the JUI-F links the day to domestic politics.
“The nation is not liking their decision for October 27,” he said, adding that in his opinion, there is no need for this protest because the international focus is already on Kashmir.
The conduct of opposition parties on the issue of Kashmir is their political need, the minister said.
