Omar visited Azad Kashmir, meet with victims’ families, briefed on Indian brutalities in Kashmir 

By Imran Nasir

ISLAMABAD (TSAT) - Voice for suppressed Muslims  around the world in the US congress, Ilhan Omar was warmly welcomed in Pakistan upon her arrival to the major South Asian Muslim country.

During her four-day visit, Congresswoman Omar met with Pakistani President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former charismatic Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in Islamabad on Wednesday. 

On Thursday, she visited Pakistan administered Kashmir also known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and meet with victims’ families who lost their loved ones during Indian forces firing on the Line of Control, a de facto border between Pakistan and India in Kashmir.

During her meeting with President Alvi and PM Sharif, both leaders appreciated her role in raising voices for innocent Muslims who are facing the barbarism of Indian forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Israeli forces’ brutalities against the Palestinians. 

“Appreciating her courage of convictions and her political struggle, the Prime Minister [Shehbaz Sharif] warmly welcomed her on her first-ever visit to Pakistan,” said in a statement issued from the PM office in Islamabad. 

“US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar called on Chairman PTI in Bani Gala. They discussed Islamophobia & related issues. @Ilhan expressed her admiration for  @ImranKhanPTI & his position on & work against Islamophobia globally. IK appreciated her courageous & principled position on issues,” Shireen Mazari, former Human Rights Minister tweeted. 

In Kashmir, she visited the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and assessed the ground situation.

She also spoke with the media during her visit to Kashmir along with the President of Azad Kashmir Sultan Mahmood and said the issue should get more attention from the United States.

““I don’t believe that it (Kashmir) is being talked about to the extent it needs to in Congress but also with the administration,” local daily, Pakistan Today quoted Omar as saying.

Omar, a Somali American who belongs to President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, is known for her courage in raising her voice for Muslims around the world.

Earlier this month she questioned what she called the reluctance of the US government to criticise Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on h

“On the question of Kashmir, we held a hearing in the foreign affairs committee (of Congress) to look at the reports of human rights violations,” said Omar.

Earlier her meeting with Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan State Minister welcomed her on her first visit to Pakistan and underscored that Pakistan and the United States had a longstanding and broad-based relationship and that sustained engagement between the two countries was vital to promote peace, development, and security in the region and beyond, according to Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement. 

Khar also appreciated the strong voice that Congresswoman Ilhan has raised against Indian atrocities in IIOJK and for the people of Palestine. She underscored that in today’s environment, it was important to stand up for universal values and human rights and let that not be clouded by geo-political interests, its said. 

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar thanked the Minister of State for the hospitality extended to the delegation during their visit. Acknowledging the importance of Pakistan-US bilateral relations, Congresswoman Omar agreed that historically, both Pakistan and the United States have benefited whenever the two countries worked together and promised to further cement these ties.