ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s political and military leadership on Wednesday reaffirmed unwavering solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), pledging continued support for their right to self-determination and calling for a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In separate messages marking Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the armed forces leadership condemned India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, saying they could neither change the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir nor undermine the resolve of its people.
President Zardari said Pakistan would continue to raise the Kashmir issue at every international forum, urging the international community, particularly the United Nations, to address the human rights situation in IIOJK.
“To my Kashmiri brothers and sisters, I say: Pakistan stands firmly with you. You are not alone,” the president said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said seven years after the August 5, 2019 measures, the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people remained unshaken, while restrictions on civil liberties and political activity continued in the occupied territory.
“The Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains the principal unresolved issue affecting peace and stability in South Asia,” he said, stressing that lasting peace could only be achieved through a peaceful settlement in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiris and relevant UN resolutions.
The armed forces leadership — Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu — also reaffirmed their solidarity with Kashmiris.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the armed forces remained committed to supporting the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination and expressed concern over what it described as continued military siege, human rights violations and attempts to alter the demographic composition of IIOJK.
The armed forces leadership said lasting peace and stability in South Asia were intrinsically linked to a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called for a Black Day on August 5, urging Kashmiris to convey to the international community their rejection of India’s actions of August 5, 2019.
According to the Kashmir Media Service (KMS), APHC leaders said the day was being observed to highlight what they described as continued repression and human rights violations in IIOJK.
They urged the international community to take notice of the situation in the UN-recognized disputed territory and play its role in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant UN resolutions.
