Daily Times

The Senate of Pakistan on Friday passed a joint resolution unanimously, demanding reversal and revocation of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, which were tantamount to gross violation of all UN Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

The resolution, moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, resolutely rejected the Indian illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019.

Reflecting the sentiments of the people of Pakistan, the House saluted the heroism and valour of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on the Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The Senate firmly condemned the unabated Indian human rights violations, war crimes, and breach of international humanitarian law in the IIOJK. “Ever since Aug 5, 2019, hundreds of innocent Kashmiris have been martyred, arbitrarily arrested, or rounded up under trumped-up charges,” it noted.

The House warned India that even the worst form of state-terrorism would not break the will of the Kashmiri people or crush their legitimate struggle, which was popular, spontaneous, widespread and indigenous. It demanded that Indian Prime Minister Modi and his RSS fascist organization, which unleashed a reign of terror on the defenceless people IIOJK and had been involved in unspeakable atrocities, be held accountable for their crimes against humanity. The House called upon the Indian government to stop extrajudicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters besides cordon and search operations.

It denounced the illegal Indian measures to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory and the efforts to peddle a facade of ‘normalcy,’ demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners in IIOJK. The Senate urged the international community to take note of India’s belligerence, intransigence and brazen persistence of cruelty against the Kashmiri people, including the danger of genocide which was now documented internationally.

The House expected that the international community would take cognizance and action against India’s gross and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK as well as its open repudiation of UN resolutions. The resolution reassured that the people, government, and Parliament of Pakistan would always stand firm with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle till the resolution of the Kashmir dispute as per their wishes and UNSC resolutions. The Senate reiterated its support to the people of Kashmir in the just struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination every step of the way.

Earlier, the house suspended the rule of business to discuss the issue of Kashmir.

Initiating the debate, Leader of Opposition in the Senate Syed Yousf Raza Gillani said “There can be no peace in South Asia unless Kashmir issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people.” He said for the normalization of relations between Pakistan and India, it was imperative for India to reverse illegal actions of August, 5 2019, lift the prolonged curfew in IIOJK and release all the detained Kashmiri leaders.

He said there were numerous crimes against humanity being committed by the Indian occupation forces, asking the world powers to fulfill their commitment they made with the people of Kashmiri about right to self-determination through the platform of the United Nations.

He said more than 73 years had passed and the people of IIOJK were still struggling to get their legitimate right of self-determination as promised by the world powers at their top forum, the United Nations (UN). He said when the Kashmir dispute was intentionally crafted in 1947-1948, the United States, Britain, China, France, Canada, Argentina, Belgium, and Columbia championed the stand that the future status of Kashmir must be ascertained in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the territory.

He said India had undertaken a series of illegal and unilateral measures in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019. He said the abduction of 13,000 young Kashmiris, extra-judicial killing of hundreds of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters and collective punishments by destroying entire neighborhoods and villages was a norm. Yousaf Raza Gillani said that the people of Pakistan were with the people of Kashmir in their freedom struggle.

He recalled that a day of February 5 had been selected by the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to express solitary with people of Kashmir.

Leader of the House in Senate, Dr Shahzad Waseem underlined the need for sending an international fact-finding mission in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ) to assess and compile a comprehensive report on the ever-worsening human rights situation there.

He said there were two reports of United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights about massive human rights violations in IIOJK and now “we demand to send a fact-finding mission there to compile the third report.” Recently, he said the Russell Tribunal on War Crimes had submitted a report, holding India responsible for committing genocide in occupied Kashmir and making illegal settlements. He said the whole Pakistani nation was standing with the people of Kashmir for their right to the plebiscite and would express complete solidarity with them on February 5.

Senator Krishna Kumari Kohli chaired the session and was welcomed by the loud thumping of desks as she sat on the chair’s seat. “A Hindu presiding [over] the Senate session on Kashmir in Pakistan. Chairman Senate [asked] our colleague Krishna Kumari Kohli to do the honour. In connection with #KashmirSolidarityDay, it’s a strong message going out depicting [the] difference between Pakistan and Hindustan,” Senator Faisal Javed Khan said on Twitter.

In her own tweet, Kohli said it was a “great honour”.

“It is great honour [that] I chaired the Senate session called to discuss the current situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on the eve of Kashmir Solidarity Day,” she said.