PAKISTAN’S top civil and military leadership strongly condemned India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, as the nation observed Yaum-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir as a mark of solidarity with struggling Kashmiris.
They reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The day marked six years since India’s illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir by revoking Article 370 of its constitution and splitting the region into two union territories. People of Pakistan reiterated strongest condemnation of India’s illegal and unilateral actions taken since 5 August 2019 to alter the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK, in complete defiance of international law, norms and principles, as well as the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council. The statement that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued on the occasion is seen as a morale booster for oppressed Kashmiris as he declared in unequivocal terms that a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was a key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He also urged the international community to play a role to halt Indian human rights crimes in IIOJK and reverse its unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019. In fact, the day underscored the need for a settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, per the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, for a lasting peace in South Asia amid the resounding success of the ‘Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos’. India launched aggression against Pakistan on allegations aimed at maligning the just struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination but the firm response it received has helped bring the Kashmir issue, once again, on the agenda of international community. The Army Chief has sensitized the international community about the urgency to promote a peaceful settlement of the dispute by pointing out that India’s repressive actions, coupled with its belligerent posture and incendiary rhetoric, serve only to exacerbate regional instability and perpetuate human suffering. In fact, India has not been able to suppress the voice of Kashmiris for over seven decades and they will not sit idle till acceptance of their demand for right to self-determination.
