Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday termed himself the 'ambassador of the people of Kashmir' and assured them that he would be their "spokesman and representative, who would launch struggle at every forum of the world for the liberation of Kashmir from India's atrocious regime."
"I am already your ambassador but I want to say this here; I will be your spokesman. I will be your representative. I will fight your case everywhere in the world," the PM said in his televised message to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) on the October 27, celebrated as Black Day to commemorate India's illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said all the people of Pakistan including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and other minorities are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Kashmiris in support of their right to self-determination envisaged in the United Nations resolutions and against the brutalities meted out at the public by the Indian forces in the occupied valley.
The prime minister said he has spoken to different world leaders including the presidents of the United States and France, Germany's chancellor and other leaders urging them to play their role to stop India's atrocities in Kashmir and to ensure their freedom from Indian occupation.
Three million Kashmiris have been martyred by the Indian security forces in IoK but the international community did not take notice the way it should have, the PM said adding that the political parties in India also remained silent to this highest order of tyranny. "And Indian parliament's August 5 decision to deprive the IoK of its autonomy has added fuel to fire. The extremist ideology of Narendra Modi and his government has backfired. A curfew is in place in the occupied valley for more than two-and-a-half months and people are locked down in their homes. Things have slipped out of Modi's hands in IoK."
The PM said all the political parties boycotted the local government elections in IoK which, the PM said, were a farce and exposed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) extremist designs.
Imran said Pakistan is strongly opposed to sponsoring insurgency in IoK. "Let me make it clear; whosoever says that we should sponsor armed struggle in Kashmir is the enemy of both Pakistan and Kashmir. This is what India wants to justify its heavy military presence in Kashmir citing intervention from Pakistan. We would never allow this to happen. It is extremely damaging to Kashmir cause. Our diplomatic, political and moral support is with Kashmir."
Meanwhile, a statement from Prime Minister's Office on Black Day quoted the PM as saying that the Kashmir Black Day being observed in Pakistan and across the world today is distinct from the past. On 27 October 1947, India had illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and, on 5 August 2019, it took further steps to unilaterally alter the disputed status of the territory and change its demographic structure and identity. Pakistan, the Kashmiris and the Muslim Ummah, have categorically rejected this travesty of law and justice, he said.
"Since 5 August 2019, the scale and intensity of the Indian government's human rights violations have increased several-folds. Through the deployment of additional troops and an unprecedented media and communications blackout, that has continued for almost three months, IoK has been turned into the largest prison on the planet. There is a shortage of medicines and essential food items. Thousands have been arbitrarily detained. Thousands of young boys have been abducted, incarcerated in undisclosed locations, and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The Indian state-terrorism has turned even more atrocious.
The world community, international human rights organisations and the international media are calling India out on this tyranny. The façade of India being the so-called 'largest democracy' stands fully exposed.
Pakistan demands the immediate lifting of the curfew and communications blackout as well as rescinding of India's illegal and unilateral actions. We urge the international community to play its role in ensuring respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people and averting grave risks to peace and security posed by India's irresponsible actions.
We express our unshakable solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and assure our Kashmiri brothers and sisters that Pakistan will always be shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Pakistan will continue its full moral, political and diplomatic support until the Kashmiri people realize their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the applicable UN Security Council resolutions," the PM said in the statement.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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