ISLAMABAD: As people living across the Line of Control (LoC) and the rest of the world observed the Right to Self-determination Day to remind the United Nations to implement its resolutions on occupied Kashmir adopted this day in 1949, Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday censured the “Hindutva” government of his India counterpart Narendra Modi for “brazenly” violating the resolutions aimed at resolving the longstanding dispute.
January 5 is observed every year to invite the attention of the international community and the United Nations towards the promise of the early grant of the right to the disputed mountainous region through an UN-sponsored plebiscite.
India-occupied Kashmir has been under lockdown since August 5, 2019, when New Delhi abolished the special status of the region, dividing it into two union territories.
The prime minister, in a series of tweets, said the commitment of the Security Council of an UN-supervised plebiscite remains unfulfilled due to the hostile behaviour exhibited by New Delhi.
“The Hindutva Modi [government] brazenly violates UNSC resolutions, international humanitarian laws, and international conventions, including 4th Geneva Convention, and commits war crimes by seeking to alter status and demography of [occupied Kashmir],” he said.
The UNSC commitment of a UN-supervised plebiscite in Kashmir remains unfulfilled as the Hindutva Modi govt brazenly violates UNSC resolutions, int humanitarian laws & int conventions incl 4th Geneva Convention; & commits war crimes by seeking to alter status & demography of IIOJK
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 5, 2022
Khan said the international community, especially the world body, must take action against India’s war crimes and those against humanity in the region.
“Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to the just Kashmiri struggle for self-determination,” he added.
In a separate message issued in connection with the occasion, Khan, while reminding the world it cannot abandon its moral and legal responsibilities towards the people of Kashmir, said durable peace in the South Asian region is contingent upon peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with international legitimacy.
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 (UNGA) and Security Council, he said.
“While observing 5th of January as the Right to Self-Determination Day for the Kashmiris, we reiterate our commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and pay homage to the Kashmiris’ just struggle spanning over more than seven decades,” he said.
“We are commemorating this day to remind the world community that it cannot abandon its moral and legal responsibilities towards the Kashmiri people.”
He pointed out the right to self-determination was granted to the people by the UN and cannot be unilaterally denied by India.
Three generations of Kashmiris have waited for the world community and the UN to honour their solemn commitments made to Kashmiris, the prime minister said.
“Indian atrocities in the [Kashmir] continue unabated but the courage and spirit of Kashmiris remain strong,” he added.
UN URGED TO ‘FULFIL PROMISES’:
In a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry urged the Security Council to fulfil its promises made to the people of Kashmir.
He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to providing political, diplomatic and moral support to the region until their right to self-determination was not recognised.
Today, 73 years have passed since that promise of a plebiscite was made to the people, but unfortunately, it has not been fulfilled to date, said the minister.
The minister said the people of Kashmir were awaiting a peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions.
He lamented that on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the UN resolution, India started a series of arrests of local leaders in occupied Kashmir to preemt demonstrations.
The country has turned Kashmir into an open prison where arrests, detention of pro-freedom leaders and imposition of curfews and sanctions had become a matter of routine.
India was making all-out efforts for changing the demography of the occupied region on the basis of religion, he observed.
The worst sufferings and oppression were being inflicted on the people in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
— With additional input from APP
