President, PM, armed forces reiterate support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination
- Imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders, activists will never dim their resolve, says Shehbaz
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have paid tribute to the resilience of the Kashmiri people and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support for their right to self-determination.
Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and around the world are observing ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ (the Kashmir Exploitation Day) today with a renewed pledge to continue support to the Kashmiris in their just struggle for the right to self-determination.
On August 5, 2019, the Modi-led government revoked Articles 370 and 35-A, which had given special status to the internationally recognised disputed territory and illegally imposed a brutal military and police siege. Pakistan has always supported the Kashmiris politically, diplomatically and morally.
Despite all the oppression, torture and arrests and state terrorism, India could not succeed in its nefarious objectives to demoralise the Kashmiris.
In their messages on Youm-e-Istehsal, the president and premier called upon the international community to urge India to halt its human rights crimes in IIOJK, reverse its unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019 and implement the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
President Zardari said India’s move on August 5, 2019 was aimed at changing the disputed status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and weakening the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, the Pakistan Peoples Party Media Cell reported.
‘Kashmir Exploitation Day’ today
In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Youm-e-Istehsal is a sobering reminder of India’s rejection of peace and stability and its pursuit of a policy of brutality and unilateralism, the PM Office said.
He said the imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders and activists will never dim the resolve of our Kashmiri sisters and brothers.
The prime minister said that India’s occupation could not be sustained by any normal means, and it has thus doubled down on a nearly eight-decade regime of state terrorism and oppression. “The brave Kashmiri people have endured this brutality with incredible dignity,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, in a video message, said: “For the past 78 years, India has deprived the Kashmiri people of their right to self-determination. Since August 5, 2019, it has attempted to suppress the voice of Kashmiris through actions such as oppression, demographic changes, media restrictions and the arrest of political activists.”
FM Dar said despite the atrocities, the Kashmiri people remained steadfast in their struggle for the right to self-determination, the Foreign Office said in a post on X.
“We demand that the international community grant Kashmiris their right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations resolutions and improve the human rights situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
On the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal, Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir along with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu, and the entire Pakistan Armed Forces have reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the resilient and courageous people of IIOJK, the military’s media wing said.
According to ISPR, the Armed Forces of Pakistan fully support the legitimate and ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
“It is unequivocally evident that durable peace in South Asia remains unattainable without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant UN resolutions,” it said.