PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Message on Kashmir Solidarity Day
ISLAMABAD: The Government and people of Pakistan annually observe the ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ to renew their steadfast support to the Kashmiri people’s just and legitimate struggle for realization of their right to self-determination.
The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law. Every year, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution that stresses the legal right of people to decide their own destiny. Regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right, notwithstanding the passage of last seventy-eight years.PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Message on Kashmir Solidarity Day
Today, the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)remains one of the most-militarized zones in the world. Kashmiris are living in an environment of fear and intimidation. Political activists and human rights defenders face prolonged detention and confiscation of properties. The political parties, representing the genuine aspirations of the Kashmiri people, have been banned. The intent of these oppressive measures is to crush dissent.
India is also taking steps to consolidate its illegal occupation of the IIOJK. Following its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, India’s efforts have been aimed at engineering demographic and political changes so that the Kashmiris transform into a disempowered community in their own land.
The recent developments in the Middle East amply show that the long-standing disputes should not be allowed to fester. A lasting peace cannot be achieved by suppressing the genuine aspirations of the local people. In the interest of durable peace in South Asia, the international community should urge India to allow the Kashmiri people to freely determine their own future.
I wish to reiterate that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will remain a key pillar of our foreign policy. Pakistan will continue to offer its unwavering moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people till the realization of their right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
I also avail myself of this opportunity to salute the resolve and courage of the valiant Kashmiri people, who continue to render innumerable sacrifices in their struggle to achieve their fundamental rights and freedoms.
