Pakistan has always provided its moral, political and diplomatic support for the people of Kashmir in their constant struggle towards their right to self-determination. Pakistan has been reminding the international community that even after resolutions from the United Nations, the issue of Kashmir remains unresolved, and the legal and moral questions surrounding the dispute remain unanswered. Pakistan serves as a platform for the voiceless Kashmiris to send a loud and clear message to the world that Kashmiris are not alone in their struggle against the occupying forces.
The Kashmir dispute is the oldest unresolved international conflict in the world today. The Kashmir issue started at the time of partition, when the Maharaja of the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession, going against the will of the people of Kashmir. Since then, the issue has remained the most significant and enduring dispute between India and Pakistan. The issue continues to be on the United Nations’ agenda, where resolutions have been passed in support of Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir that the people of Kashmir are entitled to the right of self-determination and must be allowed to decide their own future. The resolution of the United Nations of January 5, 1949, reads, “The question of accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be decided through the democratic method of free and impartial plebiscite”.
Pakistan serves as a platform for the voiceless Kashmiris to send a loud and clear message to the world that Kashmiris are not alone in their struggle against the occupying forces.
For the past seven decades, Indian occupation forces have carried out ruthless repression, committing human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, sexual violence and suppression of freedom against unarmed Kashmiris. The scale and severity of these abuses are documented by International media, civil society groups and human rights organisations. The human rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir has developed into a serious crisis following India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, when it revoked Article 370, which granted Kashmir the status of a special state, along with Article 35A, which barred non-residents from permanently settling or acquiring land in the state. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its independent permanent Human Rights commission termed Kashmir as “World’s largest prison”. India imposed one of the largest military sieges on over eight million people in Kashmir and exploited impunity laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) to carry out widespread human rights abuses.
Pakistan has been a supporter of Kashmiris since the start of the dispute and has always been a voice for the voiceless people of Kashmir. Pakistan draws the attention of the international community to the human rights violations committed by the Indian occupation forces in Kashmir. Pakistan believes that peace in the region is not achievable without solving the Kashmir issue according to the will of the people of Kashmir. Despite the resolutions that have been passed by the United Nations and the international community, the Kashmir issue has remained unresolved and has been a major cause of wars between India and Pakistan. As long as the people of Kashmir are denied their rights and freedom, Pakistan will continue to advocate for their right to self-determination so that justice may prevail and lasting peace and stability may be established in the region.
The writer can be reached at hmuneeb372 @gmail.com