Islamabad: Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination, with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging the international community to act decisively to uphold their rights.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a message on the 76th anniversary of the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) resolution, Zardari emphasized Pakistan’s continued political, diplomatic, and moral support for Kashmiris. The UNCIP resolution, adopted on 5 January 1949, guarantees a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Today, we reaffirm the inalienable right of Kashmiris to self-determination, which is enshrined in international law and supported by human rights instruments,” Zardari said. He condemned India for denying this right for over seven decades and criticized its actions since 5 August 2019, which he said aim to alter the demographic and political fabric of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Zardari also called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to fulfill its responsibility and support Kashmiris in exercising their right to self-determination. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed these sentiments, urging global powers to honor their commitments to the Kashmiri people.
In a message on Right to Self-Determination Day for the People of Jammu & Kashmir observed on 5 January 2025, Sharif emphasized the significance of the UNCIP resolution that guarantees a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the right to self-determination is a core principle of the UN Charter and international law, and regretted that the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this right for over seven decades.
Sharif called for the international community to demand an immediate cessation of human rights violations, release of political prisoners, and restoration of fundamental rights and freedoms for the Kashmiri people. He criticized India’s actions since 5 August 2019, which he described as attempts to alter the demographic and political structure of the disputed territory, transforming the majority Kashmiri people into a disempowered minority in their homeland.