MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN ON KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY (5TH FEBRUARY 2020)

Today, we observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day to reaffirm our unflinching support for our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who have been subjected to an inhuman lockdown and communications blockade for six months now. The unprecedented length of these restrictions has fully exposed the ‘fiction’ of India’s democracy and its scant regard for basic human norms. The Kashmiris, the Muslim Ummah, Pakistan and the international community have rejected India’s travesty of law and justice.

India has turned 8 million Kashmiris into prisoners in their own land through the deployment of over 900,000 occupation troops. History has few precedents of such suffocation and violation of the fundamental rights at this scale. Tens of thousands of innocent people have been arbitrarily detained and thousands of young boys abducted and incarcerated at undisclosed locations. This is a true manifestation of Indian stat-terrorism.

The international community, major human rights organizations and the international media have been unanimous in their condemnation of India’s unacceptable actions. India stands before the world, exposed as a majoritarian and authoritarian polity, tramping upon the basic rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.

Pakistan demands immediate lifting of the military siege and communications blackout as well as rescinding of India’s illegal and unilateral actions. All those illegally arrested and incarcerated should be released and the draconian laws enabling impunity to Indian occupation forces be immediately repealed. The international human rights and humanitarian organizations, as well as international media, should be allowed access to evaluate the human rights situation in the occupied territory.

We urge the international community to play its role in ensuring respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people and averting grave risks to global peace and security posed by India’s belligerent rhetoric and aggressive action.

We express our unshakable solidarity with the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and assure that Pakistan will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them. Pakistan will continue its full moral, political and diplomatic support until the Kashmiri people have realized their legitimate right of self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

5th February.2020