ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium and the European Union Rahim Hayat Qureshi, presented a certificate of appreciation to Chairman of the Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU), Ali Raza Syed, in recognition of his outstanding struggle for the Kashmir cause.
The certificate was awarded during an event held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels on the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal of Kashmir (Kashmir Exploitation Day).
Ambassador Qureshi commended Ali Raza Syed’s efforts in highlighting the Kashmir issue, particularly his work in raising awareness about the rights of Kashmiris across Europe.
In response, Syed expressed gratitude and reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the struggle for Kashmir’s just cause.
In his address, Ali Raza Syed strongly condemned India’s unilateral actions—particularly the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A—describing them as violations of international law and global norms. He stressed that India had once pledged the right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir, but later reneged on that commitment by stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status.
He asserted that these illegal measures were part of a broader effort to erase Kashmiri identity and legitimise India’s occupation of the region.
Ali Raza Syed also drew attention to the prolonged military lockdown, arbitrary detentions, and ongoing human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir, including the imprisonment of political leaders, human rights defenders, and journalists such as Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Khurram Parvez, and Sajad Gul.
He highlighted cases of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and the harassment of women, while noting that international human rights organisations and the media continue to be denied access to the occupied territory.
As Chairman of the Kashmir Council EU, Syed further denounced India’s attempts to alter Kashmir’s demographic composition, calling it a breach of the Geneva Conventions. He urged the European Union and the United Nations to take urgent action and called on the international community to hold India accountable and support the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, paving the way for a peaceful and just resolution of the dispute.
