ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have urged the international community, particularly the United Nations and global human rights organizations, to hold India accountable for its grave and systematic human rights violations in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
They shared separate messages on Kashmir Black Day, which is observed on October 27 every year.
On this day in 1947, Indian forces entered Srinagar in blatant violation of international law, moral principles, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Consequently, one of the darkest chapters in modern history began.
The president said, “Since then, generations of innocent men, women, and children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have endured unimaginable suffering under occupation, marked by violence, repression, and denial of their fundamental rights”.
“Every year, we observe this day as Kashmir Black Day to honour the valiant struggle and sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who continue to resist tyranny in their pursuit of the inalienable right to self-determination. Despite decades of Indian brutality, the spirit of resistance among the Kashmiri people remains unbroken.”
After 5 August 2019, this brutal campaign has only intensified. India has unilaterally revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, imposing a military siege, destructing properties of Kashmiris to inflict ‘collective punishment’ and enforcing draconian laws that strip the Kashmiri people of their fundamental freedoms. The occupied territory remains under severe restrictions on movement, communication, and assembly, while fake encounters, custodial torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, continue to terrorize civilians. Systematic attempts are being made by Indian authorities to turn the Kashmiris into a minority in their own homeland.
Given India’s recent hostilities towards Pakistan, the occasion of Kashmir Black Day highlights that lasting peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
The president has called for an immediate end to the ongoing Indian atrocities in the occupied territory and to actively work towards the resolution of this long-festering dispute. The United Nations, in particular, owes it to the Kashmir people.
PM Shehbaz’s Message on Kashmir Day
Every year the 27th of October marks the darkest day in the history of Kashmir. It was on this day, seventy-eight years ago, that the Indian Occupation Forces landed in Srinagar and annexed it – a tragic chapter in human history that continues to this day. Ever since that fateful day, India continues to deny the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
For nearly eight decades, the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have endured enormous hardship and oppression. We salute their indomitable spirit, courage, and resilience, in the face of fear and persecution. Their unwavering resolve to attain the just and inalienable right to self-determination, remains undiminished.
Since August 5, 2019, India has further intensified its illegal and unilateral actions, aimed at altering the demography and political status of IIOJK. In addition to human rights abuses, massive curbs have been imposed on freedom of movement and expression. By imposing such draconian laws, India has unleashed a systematic campaign of violence and brutality to silence the legitimate political voices and crush the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The unlawful and unjustified incarceration of several prominent Kashmiri leaders and activists, as well as media personalities, is an ugly manifestation of this Indian extremist agenda. Their continued imprisonment, under fabricated charges, is in blatant violation of international human rights norms.
Pakistan has consistently condemned these unlawful measures, that defy international law and violate numerous relevant UN resolutions. We have steadfastly maintained our position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remains clear, consistent, and principled. Lasting peace and stability in South Asia will remain elusive without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have always used highlighted the plight of my Kashmiri brothers and sisters before the international community and echoed their calls for freedom from Indian occupation. I wish to assure the Kashmiri people, that they are not alone in their struggle, rather, the 240 million people of Pakistan stand resolutely beside them.
“We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and will never relent in our commitment to the Kashmir cause, until justice is done and the promise of self-determination, pledged by the international community, is finally fulfilled. Inshallah, that day is not far.”
