Kashmir Solidarity Day: Qamar Zaman Kaira Adivser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan

TEXT: On this Solidarity Day, we stand united with our Kashmiri brethren in their valiant struggle to achieve the long overdue legitimate right to self- determination. The unflinching support of government of Pakistan and its people to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for realization of their inalienable right to self-determination has remained unshaken throughout last seven decades. We salute and pay tribute to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for resisting all tools of Indian state terrorism and sacrificing their lives for their birthright of self-determination.

Indian tools of state terrorism like extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, forced disappearances, collective punishments and incarceration of Kashmiri leaders have miserably failed to subdue the will of Kashmiri people. The indigenous and untiring struggle of Kashmiri people has proved that no level of suppression can break their will for their just demand of right to self-determination. In desperation, India took illegal and unilateral actions on August 05, 2019 and revoked the special status of Indian illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir IIOJK in order to implement its sinister design to change the demography of IIOJK.

Since then, more than four million domiciles have been issued to non-Kashmiris. New property laws have been promulgated to usurp the land of Kashmiris. India is also manipulating the local elections by redrawing the electoral constituencies for allocating higher number of seats for Hindu majority areas. All of these Indian obnoxious steps are blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, international laws and 4th Geneva Convention. Pakistan, Kashmiris and the world community have widely rejected these illegal engagements and deceptions of India. These steps are glaring manifestation of the RSS inspired Hindutva mindset of Indian government which marginalizes minorities. Today India stands exposed before the world as an aggressor and oppressor. Its so-called secular and democratic credentials stand fully discredited.

India must realize that Kashmiris have a glorious history of standing up against all tools of suppression and any misadventure of Indian authorities will further strengthen the Kashmiris resolve for freedom from Indian occupation. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have undertaken enormous efforts in highlighting the Kashmir issue on all international forums. As a result, we have seen increased awareness in the world community of this festering dispute. International human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, United Nations Office of Higher Commissioner for Human Rights and Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of OIC have well documented and highlighted the human rights violations in IIOJK.

Today India’s mantra of Kashmir being “internal” matter of India rings hollow. The world community must recognize its collective obligation towards Kashmiris. The continued apathy towards suffering of Kashmiri people will have disastrous consequences for the region and beyond. Pakistan has consistently maintained that durable peace and security in the region is contingent upon peaceful resolution of the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. We once again reiterate our resolve that Pakistan will continue to provide all possible political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination as enshrined in UNSC resolutions and as per wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023