PM, President reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for Kashmiris on Youm-e-Istehsal

WEB DESK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari both issued messages on Youm-e-Istehsal, reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and calling for a just resolution of the dispute.

On August 5, 2019, India’s government revoked IOK’s special autonomous status by repealing Article 370 of its constitution, in what was widely seen as the most significant move on the disputed region in nearly seven decades. The decision, taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was aimed at fully integrating IOK with the rest of India.

The move stripped away protections that had barred outsiders from buying property in the region and had reserved government jobs and college places for state residents. It was accompanied by a communications blackout, with telephone and internet services suspended and several Kashmiri political leaders placed under house arrest. Pakistan has consistently rejected the 2019 move as illegal and unilateral, calling for its reversal and for a resolution of the dispute in line with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. August 5 is now observed annually as Youm-e-Istehsal.

In his message, PM Shehbaz said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the most fundamental issue for peace and stability in South Asia, and that its resolution was only possible through the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and UN resolutions. “India’s actions of August 5, 2019 violated international law and Security Council resolutions, and that despite this, India had failed to weaken the Kashmiri people’s resolve for self-determination,” he said. PM Shehbaz called on India to reverse its efforts to alter the disputed status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and expressed concern over human rights violations and curbs on basic freedoms in the region.

The prime minister said the steadfastness and resilience of the Kashmiri people served as a beacon for justice and human dignity, and that a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute remained a core pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He demanded India immediately halt human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, withdraw all illegal and unilateral measures taken since August 5, 2019, and repeal all repressive laws imposed on the Kashmiri people. Pakistan, he said, would continue extending diplomatic, political and moral support to Kashmiris and raising their voice at every regional and international forum.

In a separate message, President Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the Kashmiri people, paying tribute to their courage and their struggle for the right to self-determination. He said India’s unilateral actions of August 5 violated international law and could not change Kashmir’s disputed status, adding that seven years on, the resolve of the Kashmiri people remained unshaken despite millions having endured severe restrictions throughout this period.

The president said Kashmiris remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice and the right to decide their own future, and that Pakistan would continue its moral, political and diplomatic support for their cause, raising their voice at every international forum. He said durable peace in South Asia was contingent on a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute, and called on the United Nations to take effective notice of the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan will continue supporting Kashmiri right to self-determination at every level: Armed forces

Marking the occasion, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the services chiefs expressed solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir, reaffirming the armed forces’ unwavering support for the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.

According to the statement, Pakistan’s armed forces will continue to fully support the Kashmiri people’s struggle, adding that the Indian military siege and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir remain a serious concern. It said Indian attempts to alter the demographic composition of the region posed a threat to peace, and that lasting peace in South Asia was contingent on a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

ISPR said the resolution of the Kashmir conflict must be in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and United Nations resolutions, and that the people and armed forces of Pakistan would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kashmiris.

Pakistan’s armed forces paid tribute to the martyrs of occupied Kashmir, the statement added, reaffirming that Pakistan would continue supporting the Kashmiri right to self-determination at every level.