Islamabad, President Dr. Arif Alvi has emphasized the urgency of addressing the prolonged struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, a fundamental international law principle that remains unfulfilled in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In his message marking Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5, President Alvi highlighted the decades-long quest of the Kashmiris amidst an atmosphere of fear and repression under one of the world’s most militarized zones.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the President’s statement sheds light on the critical human rights situation in IIOJK, where the local population faces indiscriminate force by Indian occupation forces, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of political representation. The President criticized the ongoing efforts by India to alter the demographic and political landscape of Kashmir, especially following the controversial actions taken on August 5, 2019, aiming to disenfranchise the Kashmiri people in their homeland.

President Alvi condemned the Indian Supreme Court’s decision on December 11, 2023, as a further attempt to deny the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination. He called on India to cease its human rights abuses in IIOJK, reverse its unilateral decisions from 2019, repeal oppressive laws, and allow UN-led inquiries into the alleged human rights violations. Additionally, he stressed the need for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment, President Alvi declared that seeking a fair resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains a cornerstone of Pakistani foreign policy. He assured continued moral, diplomatic, and political support for the Kashmiri struggle until their self-determination rights, as outlined by the UN Security Council, are realized.

This stance reinforces Pakistan’s solidarity with the Kashmiri people, urging the international community to recognize and act upon the ongoing crisis in IIOJK, aiming for peace and justice in the region.