ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari Saturday urged international community to pressurise India to halt its human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), alleviate the suffering of Kashmiris and implement UN Security Council resolutions.
“Pakistan will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they achieve their right to self-determination”, he said in a statement on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day.
October 27, 1947 marks a dark chapter in South Asian history when India sent troops to occupy Jammu and Kashmir.
President Asif Zardari said for decades, people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have endured brutal repression by Indian forces.
Over the years, he said, India has transformed IIOJK into one of the most militarised regions in the world. Thousands of innocent Kashmiris have been killed, while their legitimate leaders remain imprisoned, and local media is heavily censored, he said.
President Zardari said United Nations Security Council has repeatedly affirmed right of Kashmiri people to self-determination through a fair and impartial plebiscite. “Yet, India continues to defy these resolutions and deny Kashmiris their fundamental rights. Since August 5, 2019, India has further escalated its occupation by stripping IIOJK of its special status and implementing measures to alter its demographic and political landscape”, he said.
He said these actions are part of a broader strategy to consolidate control and suppress Kashmiri Freedom Movement. Despite these oppressive tactics, he reminded, resilient people of Kashmir remain steadfast in their struggle for freedom. “We strongly condemn India’s ongoing atrocities and reaffirm our unwavering moral, diplomatic and political support for Kashmiri people’s just cause”, he reiterated.
President Zardari said recent developments in Middle East are a stark reminder that long-standing disputes should not be allowed to fester. “Violating international law and pushing disputes under the rug does not guarantee lasting peace”, he remarked.
He said three generations of Kashmiris have waited for the world, especially United Nations, to deliver them their right to self-determination. “The world can no longer ignore its responsibility”, he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday India must realise that it could not suppress the genuine aspirations of Kashmiris by its coercive tactics.
Expressing complete solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), he said in his message on the ‘Kashmir Black Day’, “India has failed to fulfil its obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.” The Kashmir Black Day is observed on October 27 every year, the PM added, to mark the day when the Indian forces had landed in Srinagar 77 years ago. Since that day, he said, India had been stifling the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people to determine their own destiny.
He noted that the people of IIOJK had suffered countless hardships during last 77 years. “However, their resolve to realise their inalienable right to self-determination remains as firm as it was in 1947,” the PM added.
“On this day, I pay my heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people in their continued struggle for their right to self-determination and their sacrifices will not go in vain,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reaffirmed his unwavering support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for justice and self-determination, as Pakistan and Kashmir observe Black Day to mark the tragic occupation of Kashmir on October 27, 1947.
“Pakistan stands resolutely with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Their right to self-determination, enshrined in United Nations resolutions, is a human right that must not be denied through force or injustice,” he stated on the Kashmir Black Day. Bilawal condemned the relentless human rights violations in IIOJK and the oppression faced by those demanding basic rights and freedom. “We urge the international community to act decisively to bring peace, justice, and freedom to this long-suffering region.”
He highlighted the rich legacy of PPP’s dedication to the Kashmir cause.
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