Caretaker PM Kakar reaffirms Pakistan’s continued support for Kashmiris’ right to self determination

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to extend its full political, diplomatic, and moral support to the valiant Kashmiri people in their just struggle for their rights including the inalienable right to self-determination, in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

In a message on the occasion of Self-Determination Day, he said: "Today, Kashmiris around the world are observing the 75th anniversary of the Resolution adopted by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP), providing that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices."

In essence, he said, it was a reaffirmation of the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, which is enshrined in international law and upheld by international human rights instruments. He regretted that despite more than seven and a half decades, the oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have not been able to exercise this fundamental right.

"India continues to oppress the people of Jammu and Kashmir to break their will. Since August 5, 2019," the prime minister said, adding that India was engaged in a vicious exercise, aimed at altering the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK, to turn Kashmiris into a disempowered community in their land.

"The Indian Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the status of IIOJK is yet another step towards the denial of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. The genuine aspirations of the Kashmiris cannot be wished away through domestic legislation and engineered judicial verdicts," he added.

He pointed out the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annually adopts a resolution on 'Universal Realization of the Right of the People to Self-Determination' that draws international attention towards the plight and rights of people living under situations of forced occupation. "The international community, especially the United Nations, is responsible for ensuring that the people of IIOJK exercise their inalienable right to self-determination," he added.