Pakistan reaffirms support for Kashmir plebiscite on Right to Self-Determination Day

• UNSC only route to Kashmir issue resolution: PM Shehbaz Sharif.
• President reaffirms Pakistan's unwavering support for Kashmiris.
• PPP to continue raising voice for Kashmiri people: Bilawal.
  

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders renewed their call for the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Kashmir as the Right to Self-Determination Day being observed today (Monday).

The day commemorates January 5, 1949, when the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution affirming the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their future through a UN-supervised plebiscite.

In separate messages, they reaffirmed Pakistan’s moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people, urged the international community to press India to reverse its actions of August 5, 2019, and called for a UN-mandated plebiscite to determine the region’s future.

In his message, President Asif Zardari said: “Equally important is the need for credible steps to address ongoing human rights violations and to protect civilians.”

He said Pakistan will continue to extend its consistent moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of IIOJK, The News reported.

“We stand with them in their just and peaceful struggle for dignity, justice and a future of their own choosing,” he said.

The president said the situation on the ground in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remained deeply troubling.

“Widespread restrictions on political activity and freedom of speech, prolonged detentions and the use of coercive laws have created an atmosphere of fear and impunity. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of violence, while families are displaced and livelihoods disrupted,” he said.

In recent years, the President said control over the rivers originating in Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a grave additional challenge, with serious implications for the lives of Kashmiris and for regional stability. President Asif Ali Zardari said India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, in disregard of its binding international obligations, represents a dangerous attempt to weaponise water, threatening livelihoods, food security and peace for millions who depend on these shared resources.

He said Pakistan firmly believed that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was rooted in the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and could not be resolved through force or unilateral measures.

'UNSC only route to Kashmir issue resolution'

In a message on the Right to Self-Determination Day, PM Shehabz said the world must recognise that a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was the only way to achieve durable peace in South Asia. 

“We urge the international community to urgently call upon India to halt its widespread human rights violations in IIOJK, reverse its unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019, repeal the draconian laws and give the right to self-determination to the Kashmiri people, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

"Pakistan will continue to extend its unwavering moral, political, and diplomatic support to your cause, and will continue to serve as your voice at every available platform,” he said, adding, “Today, as we commemorate the Right to Self-determination Day, we solemnly reaffirm our unwavering support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in their just struggle for the right to self-determination.

"The 5th of January serves as a powerful reminder of the historic commitment made by the international community, enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions, to uphold the right to self-determination for the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

He said: “On 5 January 1949, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted the landmark resolution, which unequivocally stipulated that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir would be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.

“The prime minister said: “Sadly, this commitment remains unfulfilled to this day, as the resolution has never been implemented, due to India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The people of IIOJK have witnessed nearly eight decades of ordeal at the hands of Indian occupation forces.

Their suffering has exacerbated manifold since 5 August 2019 when India undertook illegal and unilateral measures, as part of its systematic campaign to transform the demographic and political landscape of the IIOJK,” he continued.

He said, “India has made consistent efforts to silence the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people and muzzle the media.

“Nevertheless, all Indian coercive measures have failed to subjugate the will of the people of IIOJK or suppress their quest for the right to self-determination.

The people of Pakistan salute their indomitable courage, commitment and resilience in the face of Indian atrocities,” he concluded.

Bilawal pays glowing tribute to Kashmiri people

In his message, Bilawal paid a glowing tribute to the Kashmiri people, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support for their just struggle.

“This day serves as a solemn reminder of the international community’s unfulfilled promise. The people of Kashmir have endured decades of oppression, violence and denial of basic human rights, yet their resolve, courage and hope for freedom remain unbroken,” he said in a statement.

“No amount of force can silence a people’s legitimate aspiration for dignity and justice,” he added.

Bilawal urged the United Nations and the global conscience to move beyond statements and ensure the implementation of UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

He said lasting peace in South Asia was impossible without a just and peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Reaffirming the legacy of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, he said the PPP will continue to raise its voice on every forum for the Kashmiri people.

“We stand with Kashmir today, tomorrow and until justice is done,” he said.