Islamabad (TDI): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that in the interest of durable peace in South Asia, the global community should urge India to allow the Kashmiri people to freely determine their own future as a lasting peace could not be achieved by suppressing their genuine aspirations.
The recent developments in the Middle East amply showed that the long-standing disputes should not be allowed to fester, the premier said in a message on Kashmir Solidarity Day being observed on February 5 (today).
He stated that every year, the government and people of Pakistan observe ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ to reaffirm their unwavering support for the just and rightful struggle of Kashmiris in achieving their right to self-determination.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law. Every year, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopts a resolution that stresses the legal right of people to decide their own destiny,” he said.
Regrettably, PM Shehbaz said, the Kashmiri people had not been able to exercise this inalienable right, notwithstanding the passage of last 78 years.
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He stated, “Today, the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world, where Kashmiris live under constant fear and intimidation.”
The Prime Minister further noted that political activists and human rights defenders in IIOJK face prolonged detentions and property confiscations, while political parties representing the true aspirations of the Kashmiri people have been outlawed.
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He said that the intent of these oppressive measures was to crush dissent.
PM Shehbaz further observed that India was also taking measures to consolidate its illegal occupation of the IIOJK.
“Following its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, New Delhi’s efforts have been aimed at engineering demographic and political changes so that the Kashmiris transform into a disempowered community in their own land,” he added.