ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Kashmir Committee and the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) on Wednesday signed a Cooperation Agreement to help develop an institutional network in building a strong narrative on Kashmir cause.
The President IRS Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz and the Director-General Kashmir Committee Mirza Salman Baig signed the cooperation agreement.
On this occasion, the Chairman Kashmir Committee Shehryar Khan Afridi said that the cooperation agreement aims at the provision of professional and institutional support to the Kashmir Committee to help its narrative building on Kashmir cause.
“Kashmir Committee and IRS will work on research, narrative building, and expanding of our outreach to major stakeholders and youth. We also want to engage professionals in building our case on Kashmir,” he said.
Shehryar Afridi said that the IRS has command on regional studies and we would love to work with them to further our narrative on Kashmir.
“We will engage those countries who have been ignored in the past. Pakistan’s dynamic youth can do wonders in our narrative building. With its 220 million dynamic people, Pakistan is bound to rise and shine,” he added.
The President IRS Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz said that Kashmir Committee Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi had played a key role in making the cooperation agreement signed.
“Double-speak on Kashmir narrative confuses the people at large. We have been a bit shy to reach out to the parliamentarians. The Chairman Kashmir Committee Shehryar Afridi gave some proposals and we drafted the Cooperation Agreement,” he said.
Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz said that the IRS will be conducting research methodology workshops together to help develop a narrative on Kashmir to counter Indian negative propaganda on Kashmir.
“As a diplomat, my biggest challenge was to put our narrative abroad. For building a counter-narrative to Indian propaganda on Kashmir, we need to develop material that should be spoken by all. We will train youth ambassadors. We will continue to work with the Kashmir Committee,” he concluded.
