ISLAMABAD, Aug 05 (Alliance News): President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, marking seven years since India revoked the region’s special constitutional status.
In his message, President Zardari said India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, aimed at altering the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir, were in violation of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
He said those measures had neither changed the legal status of the dispute nor weakened the determination of the Kashmiri people.
The president noted that Kashmiris had endured years of restrictions affecting every aspect of their daily lives but had remained steadfast in their struggle for the right to self-determination.
President Zardari reiterated that Pakistan would continue to raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum until it is resolved in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He also urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to play a more active role in addressing the human rights situation in IIOJK and advancing a peaceful settlement of the dispute.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued diplomatic, political and moral support for the Kashmiri people.
The prime minister said India’s actions since August 2019 had failed to alter the internationally recognised status of Jammu and Kashmir but had intensified restrictions on civil liberties, political activities and media freedoms while attempting to change the demographic composition of the occupied territory.
He urged the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and play its rightful role in achieving a just and lasting settlement of the dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant UNSC resolutions.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, in a televised message from Jordan, where he is attending a ministerial meeting on Jerusalem, said Pakistan was observing Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir to express solidarity with the people of IIOJK and reaffirm its unwavering support for their right to self-determination.
Dar called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations, to uphold international law, protect human rights and fulfil its responsibilities toward the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He said lasting peace and stability in South Asia could only be achieved through a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Paying tribute to the resilience and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to extend its unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support to their just struggle for self-determination.
