Islamabad: Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, issued a statement on Kashmiris’ Right to Self-Determination Day, underscoring the ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri people and urging international intervention. The day marks the anniversary of the United Nations resolution passed on January 5, 1949, which promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to determine their future through a plebiscite.

According to Press Information Department, the statement lamented that the Kashmiri people have been denied this right for over seventy years, amid reports of human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It specifically criticized India’s actions since August 5, 2019, which the minister claimed were aimed at suppressing the Kashmiri struggle and altering the region’s demographic composition, actions he described as violations of international law.

The statement emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri cause and called on the global community to take decisive action to ensure justice and freedom for the people of Kashmir. It urged international organizations and countries to uphold the promises made in the past and help realize the aspirations of Kashmiris for self-determination.