ISLAMABAD: In his message on Kashmir Black Day, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the international community to pressure India to immediately lift the military siege of the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reverse illegal actions and restore fundamental human rights.
On this day 73 years ago, Indian occupation forces entered Jammu and Kashmir in an attempt to subjugate the Kashmiri people. To this day, the brave people of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir have remained steadfast in their resolve to defy India and stand firm in their quest for the right to self-determination.
On 5 August 2019, India took further illegal and unilateral steps to change the internationally recognised disputed status of occupied Kashmir and alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory.
The foreign minister said Pakistan and the Kashmiris have categorically rejected this blatant travesty of law and justice. For over one year, the scale and impunity of the Indian government’s human rights violations have increased manifold. Through the deployment of additional troops and an unprecedented media and communication blackout, occupied Jammu & Kashmir has been turned into the largest open prison in the world.
He said the world community is calling India out on its tyranny and its façade as one of the world’ largest democracy has been undeniably exposed.
He called for the urgent lifting of the military siege and media blackout, immediate stop to the violations of human rights of Kashmiri people, release of Kashmiri leaders and youth, and end to impunity granted to Indian occupation forces under draconian laws.
He urged the international community to play its role in putting pressure on India to reverse its illegal course and restore the Kashmiris’ fundamental human rights. He expressed complete solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir and assure that the government and people of Pakistan remain shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
The foreign minister said Pakistan will not relent in its support until the Kashmiris realise their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
