Islamabad
High Commissioner to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar has said that the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir remains grave and the Indian government’s portrayal of normalcy was mere an eye-wash. Addressing at the Jinnah Awards ceremony organized by the Jinnah Society of North America at Winnipeg, Manitoba, the High Commissioner said the Modi government was propelling the extremist ‘Hindutva’ ideology and pointed at the concerted efforts to settle people from outside in order to change demographics of the region in violation of the international law.
Ambassador Tarar said Pakistan remained steadfast in regarding self-determination an inalienable right of the people of Kashmir, says a message from Canada received here. Paying tribute to the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the High Commissioner said the great leader overcame the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to carve out the independent state of Pakistan, where Muslims of the sub-continent could lead their lives according to their own religion and cultural values.
At the same time, the Quaid made it clear that minorities in Pakistan would be afforded equal opportunities and protection, he said. High Commissioner Tarar said the government of Pakistan led by Prime Minister Imran Khan was focusing on harnessing the potential of expatriates and taking several initiatives to improve economy of the country.
The career of thousands of Kashmiri students is at stake as they are unlikely to apply for the National Eligibility Entrance Examination (NEET), a highly competitive test through which science students secure admission in medical colleges across India in Indian occupied Kashmir. According to Kashmir Media Service, forms were issued by the National Testing Agency for the test on Monday. In Kashmir valley, where internet lockdown has been imposed for the past four months, the aspirants are worried about losing the opportunity
‘We studied whatever little we could in such hard circumstances but now, in the absence of the Internet, we do not know how to fill the forms,’ said 17-year-old Irtiza who has been preparing for the exam for the last one year. ‘We could not go for tuition classes and it was only at home that we tried to study but now the bigger worry is the Internet,’ she said. The NEET forms were issued on Monday and the last date for completing the application form is December 31.—APP
