ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), Pakistan chapter, on Monday billed President Asif Ali Zardari’s reported remark of calling Kashmiri freedom fighters terrorists as twisted statement and asked him to clarify it.

Talking to The News here, APHC Convener Syed Yousaf Naseem expressed astonishment over the “controversial statement” attributed to him (president) and said he wished the statement was misreported.

“Kashmiris simply can’t believe that a Pakistani president could give such a statement. Not even a common Pakistani citizen, what to talk of the head of state could even think of calling the Kashmiris’ struggle a terrorist activity,” he maintained.

He maintained that the legitimate freedom movement of the Kashmiris had been acknowledged by the international community, and the United Nations had its resolutions on the issue. During an interview with a foreign publication, the controversial remark about Kashmiri fighters were attributed to President Zardari.