PM Shehbaz Sharif Condemns Indian Actions in Jammu and Kashmir

Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has condemned India’s attempts to alter the demographic composition and political structure of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region through a series of illegal and unilateral measures since August 5, 2019. He stated that these actions aim to transform the majority Kashmiri population into a powerless minority in their own homeland.

In his message on the occasion of Kashmiris’ Right to Self-Determination Day, reported by the state news agency APP, the Prime Minister said that January 5 is observed annually to reaffirm the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

He recalled that on this day in 1949, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan adopted a historic resolution guaranteeing an impartial and free plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination.

“Self-determination is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter and international law,” the Prime Minister noted, adding that every year, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution advocating the legal right of people to determine their destiny.

He lamented that the Kashmiri people have been denied this right for over seven decades. Shehbaz Sharif called on the United Nations and the international community to fulfill their commitments and take meaningful steps to enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.

The Prime Minister urged the global community to demand an immediate halt to human rights violations, the release of political prisoners, and the restoration of basic rights and freedoms for the Kashmiri people.

He further criticized India for its measures aimed at consolidating its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, thereby undermining the internationally recognized disputed status of the region. He highlighted that India’s actions since August 5, 2019, are designed to change the area’s demographic and political character, effectively marginalizing the Kashmiri majority.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for self-determination in accordance with the UN Charter and relevant resolutions.