ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (APP):Federal Minister for Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that October 27 serves as a reminder of Indian atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people.
In his message on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day, the minister said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was an international issue and must be resolved in accordance with the aspirations and free will of the Kashmiri people.
He urged the international community to raise its voice against serious human rights violations in the occupied territory and called upon states and international organisations to take appropriate action through relevant international forums.
The minister said lasting peace in the region could not be achieved as long as human rights violations and exploitation continued in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He observed that India had subjected the Kashmiri people to oppression for decades and had attempted to alter the status of the territory through changes in its laws. Pakistan had consistently opposed and condemned these unilateral actions at every forum, he added.
Senator Tarar reiterated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had the right to determine their own future and that the dispute should be settled in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people.
He said the Kashmiri people were entitled to exercise their right to self-determination and reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued support for their legitimate aspirations.
The minister said the prayers, sympathies and support of the Pakistani nation remained with the Kashmiri people, adding that Pakistan, as a state, would continue to support their right to self-determination.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
