ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for speaking in support of Kashmiris and against Indian repression.
“I want to thank Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad for speaking in support of Kashmiris and against Indian repression in IIOJK – this time at a function on Aug 8 to mark a year of the illegal Indian actions in IIOJK,” he tweeted.
I want to thank Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad for speaking in support of Kashmiris and against Indian repression in IIOJK – this time at a function on 8 Aug to mark a year of the illegal Indian actions in IIOJK.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 8, 2020
Mahathir Mohamad has said he will not apologise for his remarks about Indian oppression in occupied Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly last year and will continue to “speak without restraint” on the issue.
In a series of tweets following an event held in Kuala Lumpur in support of Kashmir, Mohamad said he had chosen to speak out last year despite being aware of the potential backlash.
“Standing up for humanity I had chosen to speak out despite being aware of the potential backlash. To my mind, keeping quiet is not an option when all the tell-tale signs were pointing towards another situation whereby a big and powerful country imposed its will with impunity on a small and defenceless nation,” he said.
He added, “What transpired since my contentious speech at the UN General Assembly in September last year only served to prove that what I had said was mild and to a certain degree, restrained.”
Now that Iam no more the Prime Minister, I take it that I can now speak without restrain and address the Kashmir issue without threats of boycotts and such.
AT THE “KASHMIR’S ONE YEAR LOCKDOWN SINCE 5TH AUGUST 2019
KUALA LUMPUR
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) August 8, 2020
The two-time former prime minister added that he will no apologise for his statement by acknowledged that relations with India were restrained.
“I offer no apology for what I had said though I am sorry that it had affected our palm oil export to India. I don’t know if that is a high price to pay for speaking out against such injustices,” Mohamad remarked.
In September 2019, Mohamad had raised the Kashmir issue while speaking at the UN General Assembly, drawing a strong reaction from the India.
He added that since he was no longer the prime minister, he could now speak about the Kashmir issue without restrain and threats of boycott.
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