Durable peace in South Asia impossible without resolution of Kashmir dispute: PM Shehbaz
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated on Monday that Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir is clear, consistent and principled. He stressed that lasting peace and stability in South Asia cannot be achieved without a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In a statement on the occasion of Jammu and Kashmir Black Day being marked on October 27, he stated, “On this Jammu & Kashmir Black Day, the Government and people of Pakistan reaffirm their resolute solidarity with the people of IIOJK.
The prime minister reiterated that Pakistan will continue to provide moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people and would continue to raise their just rights at every national and international arena.
He stated that the landing of Indian soldiers in Srinagar 79 years ago marked the beginning of a terrible chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, which still casts its long shadow over the region.
Since then, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied the exercise of their fundamental right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, he noted.
The prime minister said the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had undergone enormous hardship, suffering and repression. Their tenacity, resilience and unflinching determination to win their basic rights, however, remain undiminished.
He said the sacrifices made by previous generations were a remarkable testimony of their abiding dedication to freedom, dignity and justice.
“India continues its efforts to suppress legitimate political expression and silence the voices that represent the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The continued detention of political leaders, activists and human rights advocates in Kashmir remains a matter of serious concern. “It points out the need for due process, respect for basic liberties and a greater international focus on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” the prime minister said in a news release issued by the PM Office Media Wing.
Since 5 August 2019, he added, India had implemented a series of unilateral measures in IIOJK, along with extensive restrictions on fundamental freedoms. These steps changing the political, legal and demographic character of the area had received major international attention.
Pakistan has always advocated that these developments be dealt in line with international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions’, he emphasised.
On the solemn occasion, the prime minister also paid homage to the numerous Kashmiri men, women and children who had made enormous sacrifices in pursuit of their rights, adding that their memory would always be respected. The aspirations of the Kashmiri people cannot be crushed by compulsion or repression.
He prayed for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to see a future of permanent peace, dignity and security, and fulfilment of their aspirations, including the right to self-determination.