Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to offering moral, political, and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their quest for self-determination. People celebrate January 5 as Right to Self-Determination Day. Sharif called for the United Nations (UN) to implement the 1949 resolution ensuring a free and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the UN commitment to Kashmiri self-determination, a core principle enshrined in the UN Charter. He appealed to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to live up to that promise and to take concrete action to ensure the Kashmiri people exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.
“The Kashmiri people have been deprived of this right for over seven decades,” the prime minister said.” “It is time for the international community, including the United Nations, to live up to their promises and take meaningful measures, enabling the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination,” he said.”
Condemning Human Rights Violations
Shehbaz Sharif called on the global community to appeal for immediate respect for human rights across India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He pleaded for the authorities to release political prisoners and restore essential freedoms to the general population in occupied Kashmir. Furthermore, the statement underscored India’s violations of the internationally disputed territory, highlighting that the country “continues to take multiple steps to consolidate its occupation of the of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)”.
The statement pointed to India’s unilateral decision on August 5, 2019, to revoke Article 370 of its constitution. The move stripped the Muslim-majority territory of its special status, allowing non-residents to buy property and settle in the region. Critics see this as an effort to alter the demographic composition of Kashmir, reducing its Muslim majority.
“Through a series of illegal and unilateral actions taken since 5 August 2019, India is trying to alter the demographic and political structure of the disputed territory, aimed at transforming the majority Kashmiri people into a disempowered minority community, in their own homeland,” it said, adding that it was also “subjecting the Kashmiri people to wide-ranging gross, systematic human rights violations”.
“Pakistan reaffirms its strong resolve to continue extending its full moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people, in their just struggle for realisation of their right to self-determination, as enshrined in the Charter and relevant resolutions of the UN, as well as in international law,” the statement added.
Zardari Echoes Support for Kashmir
President Asif Ali Zardari also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri people. In a statement reported by state-owned Radio Pakistan, he criticized India’s decades-long denial of self-determination to the people of IIOJK.
“India has subjected Kashmiris to systemic oppression, violence, and brutalities for over seven decades,” Zardari said. “Pakistan will continue to stand with the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for self-determination.”
Renewing the Call for Justice
Right to Self-Determination Day statements from the leadership point towards Pakistan’s rigid stance on the Kashmir issue. In this context, Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari called for the global community to join hands in delivering justice to the people of Kashmir and putting an end to the prolonged agony faced by them. Furthermore, they reiterated that Pakistan stands firm in supporting the freedom movement and fundamental rights of Kashmiris, which are recognized internationally and through UN resolutions.