Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government and people of Pakistan observe “Kashmir Solidarity Day” every year to renew their continued support for the just and legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination. The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law. Every year, the United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution emphasizing the legitimate right of people to determine their own destiny. It is regrettable that the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right despite the passage of the last 78 years.
In his message on Kashmir Solidarity Day, the Prime Minister said that illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is one of the largest occupied military territories in the world. Kashmiris are living in an atmosphere of fear and terror. Political activists and human rights defenders are being kept in prolonged detention and their properties are being confiscated. Political parties representing the genuine aspirations of the Kashmiri people have been banned. These oppressive measures are aimed at crushing dissent.
India is taking illegal steps to consolidate its illegal occupation of occupied Kashmir. Following the illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, India’s efforts are aimed at changing the demographic and political environment of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir so that the Kashmiris are transformed into a powerless community in their own land.
Recent developments in the Middle East demonstrate that long-standing conflicts should not be prolonged any further. Lasting peace cannot be achieved by suppressing the genuine aspirations of the local people. In the interest of sustainable peace in South Asia, the international community must urge India to allow the Kashmiri people to freely decide their own future.
I would like to reiterate that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will remain a key pillar of our foreign policy. Pakistan will continue to extend unwavering moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve their right to self-determination, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. I take this opportunity to salute the determination and courage of the brave Kashmiri people, who are making countless sacrifices in their struggle for their fundamental rights and freedoms.
