President, Asif Ali Zardari, on Right to Self-Determination Day reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to play an effective role in ensuring the implementation of United Nations resolutions on the dispute.
In his message issued on the occasion, the President said that on January 5, the people of Pakistan stood in solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the adoption of a 1949 UN resolution that recognised the disputed status of the territory and affirmed the Kashmiri people’s right to determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite.
He noted that more than seven decades later, the commitment made by the United Nations remained unfulfilled, adding that the passage of time had neither weakened the validity of UN resolutions nor diminished the legitimacy of the Kashmiri people’s demand for self-determination. The continued denial of this right, he said, was in clear contradiction to the UN Charter and international law.
President Zardari expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, pointing to restrictions on political activity and freedom of expression, prolonged detentions and the use of coercive laws, which he said had created an atmosphere of fear and impunity. He added that civilians continued to suffer, with families displaced and livelihoods disrupted.
The President also highlighted emerging challenges related to control over rivers originating in Jammu and Kashmir, warning that India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty was a grave development with serious implications for the lives of Kashmiris and regional stability. He termed the move an attempt to weaponise water, threatening livelihoods, food security and peace for millions dependent on shared resources.
Reiterating Pakistan’s position, President Zardari said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was rooted in the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and could not be resolved through force or unilateral actions. He stressed that lasting peace in South Asia was possible only through dialogue and the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, without prejudice to the recognised positions of the parties.
Calling upon the United Nations and the wider international community to move beyond expressions of concern, the President urged concrete steps to enable Kashmiris to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and to address ongoing human rights violations.
He concluded by reaffirming that Pakistan would continue to stand with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just and peaceful struggle for dignity, justice and a future of their own choosing.