The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, characterizing their quest for freedom, dignity, and fundamental rights as “just and legitimate.”
In a statement released on this occasion, the Prime Minister declared that February 5th is commemorated as Kashmir Solidarity Day, a day when the people and Government of Pakistan reaffirm their steadfast and principled support for their Kashmiri compatriots in their rightful pursuit of self-determination.
He stated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute persists as one of the most longstanding unresolved issues on the United Nations’ agenda. Numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions have unequivocally established the contentious status of Jammu and Kashmir, stipulating that its ultimate resolution must align with the aspirations of the Kashmiri populace, as articulated through a just and impartial plebiscite. For almost eighty years, the Kashmiri populace has been deprived of this fundamental right due to India’s obstinacy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz stated that after decades of violence, cruelty, and savagery, the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continues to be a hostile region, characterized by extensive militarization, complete oppression, and severe human rights abuses. Arbitrary political detentions, suppression of authentic political engagement, and stringent media restrictions have become India’s standard methods for stifling dissent in IIOJK.
He stated that on 5 August 2019, India implemented a series of unlawful and unilateral administrative and legal actions to reinforce its coercive occupation of IIOJK. These actions not only violate the UN Charter but also entirely disregard pertinent UN Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention. India’s superficial endeavors to execute demographic re-engineering or modify the legal and administrative status of Kashmir cannot exempt it from its international commitments and obligations, nor can they undermine the intrinsic rights of the Kashmiri people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz stated that India’s unlawful actions in IIOJK are motivated by Hindutva ideology, which aims to institutionalize prejudice, restrict religious freedoms, and criminalize dissent. The continuous profiling of mosques and their management committees in IIOJK constitutes a serious infringement of the right to religious freedom and underscores the discrimination experienced by the Muslim community. Unfortunately, the Indian occupation has escalated from military repression to intellectual coercion, intended to silence and weaken an entire populace.
He stated that despite experiencing decades of tyranny, the courageous and heroic Kashmiri people refuse to relinquish their genuine ambitions. Pakistan honors their valiant resilience, bravery, and sacrifices.
As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have always championed the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people at all international platforms, including the United Nations General Assembly.
“On this Kashmir Solidarity Day, I affirm to my Kashmiri compatriots that Pakistan will persist in providing unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmir liberation movement, until the Kashmiri populace achieves their right to self-determination via a free and impartial plebiscite, as pledged under the auspices of the United Nations,” he stated.
God willing, the era of oppression will yield to the emergence of liberty, and that day is imminent, when the populace of Jammu and Kashmir will liberate themselves from Indian subjugation and exist in a future devoid of terror, he stated.