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Islamabad, 27 October 2021
27th October 1947 is one of the darkest days for Kashmiris. The illegal Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir which began on that day smothered the legitimate aspiration of the Kashmiri people to determine their own destiny. Bitter legacy of this act of betrayal continues to weigh heavily on the conscience of humanity.
The people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have endured endless atrocities. But the occupation forces' ruthlessness has not blunted the resolve of Kashmiris to throw off India's yoke.
The incumbent BJP-RSS combine in India has intensified cruelty against Kashmiris. The Kashmiri people remain under siege, their leadership incarcerated and their youth targeted in staged 'cordon and search' operations. But the multi-layered lockdowns and human rights violations cannot dampen the Kashmiris' indigenous struggle in which thousands of martyrs have rendered the ultimate sacrifice.
India has not only reneged on its obligations to the people of Jammu and Kashmir but has also thumbed its nose at multilateralism by backtracking on the UNSC resolutions.
The unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019 are in blatant violation of UNSC resolutions and international law. Efforts to effect a demographic change and perpetuate Indian illegal occupation in the disputed territory are cynical attempts by India to break the will of the Kashmiris and silence them.
The dream of stability and peace in South Asia and the world at large will remain elusive until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and aspirations of Kashmiris. India must realize that it cannot suppress the freedom struggle of the Kashmiris by the indiscriminate use of brute force. In fact the senseless Indian oppression has only steeled the resolve of the Kashmiri people to stand firm in their just struggle.
Pakistan has been highlighting Indian aggression and warning the world about ever-growing intolerance in India. Under the incumbent government, India has not only demonized the Muslims but is also subjecting other minorities and scheduled castes to discrimination. Indian government’s manifest hatred for Muslims and other non-Hindu minorities is testimony enough of its unimaginably inhuman conduct in IIOJK. Pakistan has repeatedly provided irrefutable evidence of Indian atrocities and nefarious designs to the world – the latest being the Dossier on "Indian Human Rights Violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)" released on 12 September 2021.
The world must stop the human catastrophe unfolding in IIOJK. The international civil society and media are also obligated to highlight the plight of the defenseless Kashmiris.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, we in Pakistan are determined to extend complete support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters and stand in solidarity with them. We will continue to do so until the final resolution of the dispute in line with the UNSC resolutions and as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people.