Today is 72nd anniversary of United Nations’ commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day, in 1949, the United Nations Commission for India & Pakistan (UNCIP) pledged the realization of the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations. This day reminds the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council, of the imperative of honouring this commitment towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The importance of the inalienable right to
self-determination has been acknowledged in various human rights Covenants and
decisions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council.
Owing to Indian intransigence, the Security Council has failed to fulfill its
pledge to the Kashmiri people.
For over seven decades, the life of Kashmiris in
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has been a chronicle of
State-sponsored cruelty and terrorism. Around 900,000 occupation forces have
converted the region into the largest militarized zone in the world. Post-5
August 2019, India has unleashed a new reign of terror in IIOJK, maintaining an
inhuman military siege, perpetrating egregious violations of human rights of
the innocent people especially women, children and the elderly with
unprecedented impunity, and seeking to illegally change the demographic
structure of the occupied territory. For more than 500 days now, Indian
occupation forces have been further brutalizing the besieged innocent
Kashmiris, brazenly denying their basic rights of communication, freedom of
expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and above all, freedom to
determine their own future. Kashmiris have been deprived of their fundamental
rights to life, food and health despite the rampant Covid-19 pandemic.
The recent spate of unprecedented Indian state-sponsored
terrorism in IIOJK and discriminatory steps against minorities, especially
Muslims, are a clear manifestation of the ‘Hindutva’ ideology espoused by the
RSS-inspired BJP regime. The world must ensure that human rights abuses do not
go unpunished and that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes against
humanity are held accountable.
Being a direct party to the Jammu and Kashmir
dispute, Pakistan will continue to underscore the imperative of holding a free
and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices in accordance with the United
Nations Security Council resolutions. Our strong and steadfast support for the
Kashmiri people will continue till the realization of their inalienable right
to self-determination.