Pakistan’s senior leadership on Thursday urged the international community to move beyond mere expressions of concern and take decisive steps to persuade India to cease alleged human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the nation’s unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political backing for the Kashmiri people’s pursuit of their right to self-determination.
The leaders emphasised that this right is formally established in relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar called on the world to ensure accountability for what he described as India’s “illegal and unilateral actions.”
He asserted that India’s persistent defiance undermines the United Nations Charter, pertinent UNSC resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Mr Dar affirmed that Pakistan’s efforts will remain centred on securing a peaceful and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
The country’s military leadership echoed the civilian government’s stance. In messages on Kashmir Day, Chief of Defence Forces, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf reaffirmed their steadfast support for the resilient population of IIOJK.
According to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Armed Forces of Pakistan believe a just and peaceful settlement of the dispute, in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, remains essential for lasting peace and stability in South Asia.