Message of President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi

The right to self-determination is a vital component of human dignity. Negation of this right is the negation of human freedom, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Human Rights Covenants. In the post-colonial era, the realization of this inalienable right paved the way for successful culmination of freedom struggles in different parts of the world, including in South Asia. 5 January is commemorated as the Right to Self-Determination Day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On 5 January 1949, the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted the resolution that guarantees a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to enable the Kashmiri people realize their right to self-determination. Today’s commemoration is aimed at reminding the global community that they cannot shy away from their responsibility towards the Kashmiri people. The United Nations must honour its commitments that were made 71 years ago. Since August 05, 2019, through continuous illegal and unilateral steps, the Indian government has created an environment of fear and chaos in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K). More than 150 days of lockdown and absence of fundamental freedoms have challenged the conscience of international community and India’s credentials of being a respectable member of the comity of nations. Indian actions have been widely rejected by the international community, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations. The current situation in IOJ&K is the worst in recent history where people have been deprived of their fundamental rights, including rights to life, food, health, freedom of expression and assembly, as well as self-determination. The people of IOJ&K are being subjected to collective punishment by Indian occupation forces who have converted the territory into the largest militarized zone in the world. Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the just cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir till the realization of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

Message of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr.  Imran Khan 

Every year, the 5th of January reinforces our commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day, in 1949, the United Nations made a commitment for the realization of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations. This day reminds the international community, especially the United Nations, of the imperative of honouring its commitment towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The importance of the inalienable right to self-determination has been acknowledged in all important human rights Covenants and decisions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Due to Indian intransigence, the Security Council has failed to fulfil its pledge to the Kashmiri people.

Over 72 years of illegal occupation of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) are a saga of brutalization of the Kashmiri people. Around 900,000 occupation forces have converted the region into the largest prison in the world. Post-5th August 2019, India has unleashed a new reign of terror in IOK&K, locking the region down and abusing human rights of the innocent people especially women, children and the elderly with impunity. Kashmiri people have been deprived of their rights to life, food, health, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion and, above all, the right to self-determination for over 150 days.

The recent wave of unprecedented Indian state-sponsored terrorism in IOK&K and discriminatory steps against minorities, especially Muslims, are a clear manifestation of the Hindutva ideology espoused by the RSS-inspired Indian Government. 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 party to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Pakistan stands ready to play its role to ensure a free and impartial plebiscite in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. Our strong and steadfast moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people will continue till the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination.

Message of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Today, Kashmiris around the world are observing the 71st anniversary of the United Nations’ commitment that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute would be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. Through this resolution, the United Nations affirmed its support for the realization of the inalienable right to self-determination of Kashmiris – a right from which all other fundamental freedoms and basic human rights flow. Regrettably, this right has not yet been realized because of unabated repression and state terrorism by India in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). For over seven decades, human dignity of Kashmiris is being violated on a daily basis in IOJ&K. The United Nations, especially the Security Council, bear the responsibility to ensure fulfillment of the promise of granting the right to self-determination to the Kashmiris. India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 are aimed at altering the disputed status of IOJ&K and bringing about demographic change to undermine the right to self-determination of Kashmiris have been widely rejected. India’s unrestrained oppression has reached unprecedented levels with the inhuman lockdown now in place for over 150 days. Each additional second on the curfew clock is a burden on the world’s collective conscience. The international community must act in support of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Kashmiris and urge India to allow the UN Fact Finding Mission to IOJ&K to ascertain the reports of grave human rights violations there. India must allow United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) unhindered access to carry out its duties in IOJ&K. If India has nothing to hide, it must allow international media and civil society to visit and report on the human rights situation in IOJ&K. In the end, let me reaffirm Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support to the valiant Kashmiri people in their just struggle for human dignity and their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

***(1/2020)***