Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging the international community to act decisively to defend their rights.
In a message on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP) resolution, Zardari emphasized Pakistan’s continued political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir.
The UNCIP resolution, adopted on January 5, 1949, guarantees a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the UN for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today we reaffirm the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, which is enshrined in international law and supported by human rights instruments,” Zardari said.
The President condemned India for denying this right for over seven decades and criticized its actions since August 5, 2019, which he said are aimed at disrupting the demographic and political fabric of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK ).
“These measures are an attempt to turn Kashmiris into a powerless community in their own homeland,” he said, adding: “Despite systemic brutalities, the spirit of the Kashmiri people remains intact and their struggle for freedom cannot be repressed.”
Zardari also called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to fulfill its responsibility and support Kashmiris in exercising their right to self-determination.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed these sentiments and urged world powers to fulfill their commitments to the people of Kashmir.
In a message on the Right to Self-Determination Day for the People of Jammu and Kashmir being celebrated on January 5, 2025, he said that January 5 is celebrated annually as the “Right to Self-Determination Day” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
On this day in 1949, he said, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted the historic resolution guaranteeing a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, to enable the people of Kashmir realize their inalienable right to self-determination.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter, as well as international law. Each year, the United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution defending the legal right of peoples to decide their own destiny “It expresses unequivocal support for the realization of the right to self-determination of peoples under foreign occupation. Unfortunately, the people of Kashmir have not been able to exercise this inalienable right for more than seven decades,” he explained.
He said the international community must also call for immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners and restoration of fundamental rights and freedoms of the people of Kashmir.
“Today, India continues to take multiple steps to consolidate its occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), undermining the internationally recognized disputed nature of this territory. Through a series of illegal and unilateral actions taken since the August 5, 2019, India is trying to alter the demographic and political structure of the disputed territory, with the aim of transforming the majority Kashmiri people into a powerless minority community, in their own homeland.”
