Islamabad: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) has called on United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres to address the longstanding Kashmir dispute. The group urged the UN to honor its commitment to granting the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination as outlined in a resolution by the international body.

According to Kashmir Media Service, this appeal was articulated in a memorandum submitted to the UN office in Islamabad, coinciding with the observance of Right to Self-Determination Day. The memorandum, delivered by an APHC-AJK delegation, emphasized the UN’s historical promises to the Kashmiri people regarding their political future.

The document referenced a critical resolution passed on January 5, 1949, by the UN Commission on Pakistan and India, which proposed a free and impartial plebiscite to decide Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to either India or Pakistan. However, the memorandum noted that the dispute remains unresolved due to India’s refusal to acquiesce.

The memorandum also highlighted the ongoing sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people over the past seven decades in pursuit of self-determination. It criticized the silence of the UN and major world powers, suggesting it emboldens India to continue what was described as state terrorism in the region.

To achieve lasting peace in South Asia, the memorandum stressed the necessity of resolving the Kashmir issue in line with the aspirations of its people. The delegation presenting the memorandum included Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Sheikh Abdul Mateen, Hassan Al-Bana, and Imtiaz Wani.