Muzaffarabad: Kashmiris across the Line of Control and worldwide are commemorating Right to Self-Determination Day, renewing their commitment to the pursuit of an internationally recognized right. The day marks the anniversary of a United Nations Security Council resolution passed on January 5, 1949, supporting a plebiscite for Kashmiris to determine their future.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the call to observe the day was made by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, resulting in a series of events in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In AJK, a prominent rally in Muzaffarabad was organized under the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, drawing thousands of participants, including political figures like Prime Minister of AJK Chaudhry Anwarul Haq and other leaders. Rally participants carried banners demanding the United Nations fulfill its promise of a plebiscite and marched to the United Nations Military Observer Office to submit a memorandum.

In IIOJK, various events, including rallies and conferences, highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by Kashmiris under Indian administration. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference issued a statement from Srinagar urging the international community, especially the United Nations, to ensure the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. The statement also condemned the actions of Indian forces, describing them as violations of international law with potential global implications.

Protests also occurred in Kupwara and Jammu, where residents advocated for improved essential services and the restoration of statehood and rights for Kashmiris. In the United States, scholars emphasized the need for a UN-supervised plebiscite as the only equitable resolution to the Kashmir issue and called for international intervention to terminate the oppression in the region.