ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for global attention to the unresolved Kashmir issue on the 76th anniversary of the UN resolution on Jammu and Kashmir.
In their separate messages, they condemned India’s atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including demographic changes since August 5, 2019.
President Zardari said that the 1949 UN resolution guaranteed Kashmiris a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices. He said India denied this right for over seven decades. He said that, despite these attempts, the Kashmiri spirit remains resilient and can’t be silenced.
“The international community must hold India accountable for human rights violations in occupied Kashmir,” Zardari said. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to providing political, diplomatic, and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination.
In his separate message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that January 5 marks the Right to Self-Determination Day for Kashmiris.
He pointed to the UN Commission on India and Pakistan’s 1949 resolution as a cornerstone of international law supporting the Kashmiri right to decide their future.
PM Shehbaz expressed regret that Kashmiris have been unable to exercise this right for seven decades. He urged the international community to act, calling for an end to human rights abuses, the release of political prisoners, and the restoration of freedoms in the region.
Also Read: Kashmiris observe Right to Self-Determination Day today
“India has taken illegal and unilateral actions since August 2019 to change the demographic and political structure of occupied Kashmir,” the premier said. He condemned India for suppressing legitimate Kashmiri resistance while seeking to turn the majority population into a disempowered minority.
Pakistan remains committed to supporting Kashmiris in their pursuit of self-determination, he added.
He urged the United Nations and global leaders to fulfill their promises and take meaningful steps to ensure justice for the Kashmiri people.
