Daily Times

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brave Kashmiri people in their historic and continuing struggle to materialize their dream to accede to Pakistan despite facing brutal atrocities, discrimination and injustice at the hands of heavily armed Indian occupying troops.

In his message on the Jammu and Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day marked on July 19, he said, “We mark this day to renew our support for the Kashmiri people in their struggle for the achievement of their right to self-determination and to translate the idea of accession of the entire Jammu and Kashmir state to Pakistan under the spirit of the historic resolution passed on this day in 1947.” President Alvi said Pakistan reiterated its commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and pay homage to Kashmiris’ just struggle spanning more than seven decades. “We will continue to provide our political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris for their inherent right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He said, “We remind the world community to use their influence to reverse India’s illegal and unilateral actions of scraping Article 35A to alter the domicile rules and land ownership laws aimed at changing the demographic structure of IIOJK and converting the Kashmiris into a minority in their own land and scraping of Article 370 to deprive Kashmir of its special status”. He vowed to continue to support Kashmiris as they struggle against the brutal and illegal actions of the Hindutva supremacist Indian government in IIOJK.”We believe that durable peace in South Asia is contingent upon the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” he said.

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the Indian oppressive state apparatus had failed to stop the journey of resistance, sacrifice, and defiance. “The Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day is a reflection of Kashmiris’ pledge to continue their struggle till the idea of accession becomes a reality,” he said in his message on Kashmir Accession to Pakistan Day. Kashmiris across the globe are marking the Kashmir Accession to Pakistan on July 19 as a resolution for accession was passed on this historic day in Srinagar.

The prime minister paid tributes to the persistent struggle of Kashmiris. “We salute Kashmiris’ courage,” he said. Sharif said after the passage of the resolution for accession to Pakistan, the people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan fought a big struggle for freedom. “The struggle and sacrifices of Kashmiris initiated in 1947 still continue and the 0.9 million Indian occupational troops have not succeeded in bringing down the passion of Kashmiris,” he said.