DALLAS: Federal Minister and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon has said that lasting peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir dispute, adding that most of the demands raised in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have already been accepted and that the remaining issues should be addressed through dialogue and political engagement.

Speaking exclusively in Dallas, and asked about anger among overseas Kashmiris over the recent unrest and loss of lives in AJK, Noon said that some aspects of the situation were being portrayed abroad in a manner that did not, in his view, fully reflect conditions on the ground. He described the dispute as an internal matter, saying that disagreements and tensions could arise within any household but could also be resolved through engagement.

The federal minister said a new government had taken office in AJK and expressed hope that the situation would gradually improve. Noon urged overseas Kashmiris to view the developments rationally and objectively, saying Kashmiris were Pakistan's brothers and that Pakistaniyat and Kashmiriyat were not separate from each other, adding that political or administrative disagreements should not be interpreted as a rupture in the broader relationship.

On the demands raised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), Noon said that a large majority had already been accepted. He alleged that certain elements were exaggerating the situation and claimed that external forces were attempting to exploit the unrest for their own purposes, reiterating Islamabad's longstanding position that Kashmir remained an integral part of Pakistan's national agenda.