ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (APP): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday calling the resolve of 250 million Pakistanis for the Kashmir cause unshakable, pledged that Pakistan would continue its relentless moral, political and diplomatic support on all global forums until the people of Jammu and Kashmir achieve their right to self-determination.
The deputy prime minister, addressing the participants of a solidarity walk held in connection with the Kashmir Black Day, denounced India for launching an unprovoked and illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir on this day in 1947, violating international law and UN Security Council commitments.
The Day is observed annually by Pakistan and Kashmiris worldwide to mark the day Indian troops first landed in Srinagar in 1947.
“Every year, the world is reminded of the illegal step India took on October 27, 1947. India’s actions remain condemned across the globe, and freedom for Kashmir remains the heartbeat of every Pakistani,” Dar said.
Held at Constitution Avenue here, the rally started from the Foreign Office and culminated at D-Chowk. The event was attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians, leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, civil society activists and students from different educational institutions of the federal capital.
Highlighting Pakistan’s proactive diplomatic engagement, the deputy prime minister underscored that the government, under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had revived the Kashmir cause on international platforms.
He highlighted the reactivation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir, and said that its meetings were now consistently convened alongside major international summits, including the recent 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week in New York.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar strongly condemned the unilateral actions taken by the Indian government on August 5, 2019, which revoked the special status of IIOJK, terming the move a blatant violation of international law, United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, and India’s own constitutional commitments.
He said that India was attempting to alter the demographic balance of the occupied territory by converting the Muslim majority into a minority and allowing non-locals to acquire property illegally. However, no illegal act can strip the Kashmiri people of their inalienable right to self-determination.
He paid rich tribute to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, honoring over 90,000 martyrs who had laid down their lives for freedom. He condemned India’s severe human rights violations, including the illegal detention of political leadership, restrictions on religious freedoms including Friday prayers, and banning of foreign observers and international media from visiting the occupied territory to conceal human rights abuses.
The deputy prime minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz consistently highlighted the Kashmir issue at every major global forum, including the UN General Assembly, the OIC, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained in constant contact with the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN General Assembly, and the leadership of the OIC and SCO, highlighting Indian state-sponsored atrocities and custodial deaths in IIOJK.
He urged the international community to play its role in addressing the plight of the people of Kashmir and called for a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar invoked Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s description of Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and expressed firm conviction that the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people would meet success, leading to the fulfilment of UNSC resolutions and the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
