ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has said India’s actions since 5 August 2019 demonstrated complete disrespect for international law, the aspirations of the Kashmiris, and the UNSC resolutions about Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In a message on Youm-e-Istehsal on 5th August 2024, the President said, “Today marks the completion of five years of India’s latest campaign to consolidate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day, five years ago, India took a number of unlawful and unilateral steps in IIOJK to undermine its internationally recognized disputed status.”
Since 5 August 2019, Asif Ali Zardari said India has embarked upon a ceaseless drive to alter the demographic structure and political landscape of Occupied Kashmir. Issuing domicile certificates to outsiders, registering temporary residents in the voters’ lists, modifying land, property ownership laws and gerrymandering assembly constituencies are some of the key features of this drive. All these steps are in blatant violation of the UNSC resolutions and global law, including the 4th Geneva Convention, the President observed.
“The continued presence of hundreds of thousands of Indian troops has turned Occupied Kashmir into one of the most heavily militarized zones across the world. The gross human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been documented extensively and denounced globally. The maltreatment of Kashmiri journalists and human rights defenders has further revealed New Delhi’s willingness to go to any lengths to silence dissenting voices in IIOJK. New Delhi would not succeed in suppressing the just struggle of the people of the Occupied Kashmir through domestic legislation and judicial verdicts,” the President added.
For the last seven decades, Asif Ali Zardari said the people of Kashmir had waited for the UN to fulfil its sincere commitments. “It is crucial that the world urges India to end its grave human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir and implement the relevant UNSC resolutions.”
“Islamabad, for its part, will continue to extend complete diplomatic, moral, and political support to the just struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UNSC,” the President further said.
