Pakistan on Thursday rejected the bifurcation of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories and described it in complete violation of the UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements between the two countries, especially the Simla Agreement.
As India formally revoked the disputed state's constitutional autonomy and split it into two federal territories in a bid to integrate it fully into India, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal reiterated Pakistan's strong opposition to the move, rejecting the bifurcation of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
"Changing of status quo in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is in complete violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan, especially the Simla Agreement", Dr Faisal said.
He said that the Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory. "No step by the government of India can change this. These changes are illegal and void as per the relevant UNSC Resolutions, and do not prejudice the right to self-determination of the people of Occupied Jammu & Kashmir", he asserted.
He said that Pakistan would particularly underline that the measures announced by India on 5 August 2019 were forced upon the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir through the barrel of gun by turning the region into a prison by over 900,000 Indian security forces.
He pointed out that political leaders, civil society members and common people including women and children remain under illegal detention.
"An iron curtain remains in place on more than 8 million Kashmiri people snapping their communications with the outside world. Curfew remains imposed and movement of people restricted. Many people, especially women and children, are being continuously abused and tortured by Indian occupation forces", he added.
He said the illegal and unilateral changes affected by India are in no way an "internal matter" as the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains on the agenda of the Security Council.
Furthermore, contrary to the false projection by the Indian authorities, the purpose of these illegal changes in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir is neither development of the region nor welfare of the Kashmiri people, he said, adding that the real motive is to alter the demographic structure of the Muslim majority state in pursuance of the extremist "Hindutva" ideology.
"The international community must take notice that transfer of civilian population from outside into IOJ&K is in grave violation of the international laws particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention", the spokesperson asserted.
He said that the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir will never accept the illegal and forceful occupation, adding that the illegal unilateral actions taken by India would only further aggravate the human rights situation in the IOJ&K and threaten to destabilize the peace, security and stability of the South Asian region as well as the world.
"India should stop brutalizing the innocent Kashmiris who have been suffering under its illegal occupation for the last seven decades", he said. He further said that India should immediately withdraw its military forces from the region, remove draconian laws, restore basic human rights of the people, free all detainees, lift all restrictions on the free movement and communications, and allow unimpeded and full access to the UN and other international human rights observers, including independent foreign media.
He emphasized that it is imperative that India implements the UN Security Council Resolutions on the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, without further prevarication.
"Pakistan would continue to extend its full moral, political and diplomatic support to the suffering Kashmiri brothers and sisters until the realization of the inalienable right to self-determination, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions", he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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