-FO terms UNGA’s adoption of a Resolution hope for people of Occupied
Valley
-President, PM condemn India’s use of unbridled force in IIOJK
-FM urges UN to play role in ensuring Human Rights in IIOJK
-Imran Khan says India committed War Crime under Fourth Geneva Convention
-Parliamentarians take out rally in Islamabad to mark Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir
-Armed Forces pay rich tribute to martyrs of Kashmir for their supreme sacrifices
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday made a strong demarche to India on the worsening situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) since its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019. The Indian Charge d’ Affaires (Cd’A) in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and conveyed Government of Pakistan’s unequivocal rejection of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 in IIOJK, which breached international law, UN Charter and the 4th Geneva Convention as well as several resolutions of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
A strong protest was registered over the series of illegitimate measures taken by India in order to unilaterally alter the internationally recognized disputed status of the territory and to accentuate its brutal military occupation, Foreign Office said in a statement issued here.
It was noted that even after the passage of three years since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, there was no let-up in the strong-armed military siege of the occupied territory and the humanitarian and human rights situation continues to exacerbate.
Extrajudicial killings, detentions and arrests, fake cases and bogus trials under the ambit of draconian laws and a compromised judicial system have become a norm in the IIOJK, statement added.
Pakistan’s categorical rejection of the report of the so-called “Delimitation Commission” was also reiterated.
It was underscored that India cannot unilaterally alter the demographic composition of IIOJK under the garb of fake electoral reforms.
The Cd’A was reminded of Pakistan’s consistent demand that the Government of India must reverse its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019; immediately lift its inhuman military siege in IIOJK; stop its illegal measures to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory; cease extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and cordon-and-search operations; release the illegally detained Kashmiri youth and political leadership; annul Hurriyat leader Mr. Yasin Malik’s fallacious life-sentence under fictitious charges and withdraw all other fabricated cases that have been mischievously spun around him; withdraw over 900,000 occupation troops from IIOJK; and let Kashmiris exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a fair and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
“Pakistan also once again calls upon the international community, international human rights organizations and particularly the United Nations and its human rights machinery to take cognizance of the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in IIOJK, hold India accountable for its reprehensible conduct, and ensure a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called out India for its continuous use of “unbridled force” in IIOJK as the nation marked three years since New Delhi stripped the valley of its special autonomy.
In a series of tweets, the premier said: “Today marks the third sombre anniversary of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 aimed at changing the internationally recognised disputed status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and altering the demographic structure of the occupied territory.”
He lauded brave Kashmiris for persevering in the face of fear, intimidation, torture and the worst forms of human rights violations. “Indian oppression has failed to dent their resolve,” PM Shehbaz remarked.
“The Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been a battle of hope against overwhelming odds, of courage against fear and of sacrifice against tyranny. Today, we pay rich tributes to all the martyrs of IIOJK for their ultimate sacrifice and to their families for their resolve and courage,” the prime minister added.
In a statement issued by the President House, President Dr Arif Alvi said that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute was the only way to ensure durable peace and stability in the region.
“India’s actions of August 5, 2019 contravene several United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions which stipulated that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations,” he stated.
The president further promised that Pakistan would “continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle”.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari highlighted that the developments in the occupied valley over the last three years had proven that “India has been relentlessly pursuing its nefarious design of furthering demographic changes”.
“It is doing so through repressive measures, including outrageous gerrymandering, to create Hindu-dominated constituencies at the expense of Muslim majorities, the issuance of millions of fake domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris, and modifying laws on ownership of land and property,” he said.
Bilawal pointed out that the presence of 900,000 troops had turned India into “the most militarised zone in the world”, highlighting that more than 650 Kashmiris had been martyred since August 5, 2019, including over 130 so far this year.
Calling on the international community, he demanded that the United Nations live up to its promise of granting the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people.
“The international community must demand an end to India’s gross and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK, reversal of its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, repeal of draconian laws, and implementation of relevant UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” the foreign minister said.
Pakistan will always remain in strong support and solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren till the full realisation of their legitimate rights, he added.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that on August 5, 2019, the Modi government “violated the UNSC resolutions and international law by illegally revoking the special status of IIOJK”.
Further, India then “moved to commit a war crime under Fourth Geneva Convention by altering the demography of IIOJK,” he pointed out.
India thought the move would crush the spirit of Kashmiri resistance but instead it continued to grow, he said.
The ex-premier condemned the silence of the international community, calling it “selective morality”.
“We are asked to echo condemnations on issues of human rights the powerful in the international community take up. But when it comes to India and its massive human rights violations in IIOJK, there is complete silence by the same powers because of India’s market or its strategic military partnerships,” he said.
Meanwhile, federal ministers Khawaja Asif and Qamar Zaman Kaira led a rally in Islamabad from the Foreign Office to the Constitution Avenue to express solidarity with oppressed Kashmiris.
According to details, the participants held banners and chanted slogans against Indian atrocities in the occupied valley.
Addressing the rally, Asif said that Pakistan’s commitment to IIJOK was everlasting and promised that it would never falter.
In his remarks, Kaira said that the Kashmiri people had been braving Indian atrocities over the last seven decades and had sacrificed over 100 lives.
Every Pakistani is aware of their national responsibility and stands by their Kashmiri brothers and sisters, he added.
On August 5, 2019, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution. The move allowed people from the rest of the country to have the right to acquire property in occupied Kashmir and settle there permanently.
Kashmiris, international organisations and critics of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government saw the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.
Earlier this year, the Indian government said a delimitation commission had finalised 90 assembly constituencies for the IIOJK, excluding Ladakh, with 43 seats for Jammu and 47 for Kashmir. Earlier, Jammu had 37 seats and the Kashmir valley had 46.
The delimitation commission claimed it had been difficult to accommodate competing claims from various sides, citing in a statement the region’s “peculiar geo-cultural landscape”.
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistan Armed Forces stand with brave & resilient people of IIOJK in their struggle for right to self determination as per UN resolutions. 1095 days of worst ever siege and brutal atrocities must end. Tribute to martyrs of Kashmir for their supreme sacrifices.
