Islamabad: Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Senator Rubina Khalid on Wednesday termed August 5, 2019, the darkest day in South Asian history, saying India’s revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A is a blatant violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law.
In a message issued on Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, she said the disputed status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) could not be altered through unilateral actions. She said the people of Kashmir must be granted their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, calling it the responsibility of the international community.
Rubina Khalid said India is attempting to alter the demographic composition of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to stop such actions.
She also condemned what she described as grave human rights violations in the occupied territory, including unlawful detentions and restrictions on freedom of expression.
She said Pakistan will continue extending diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmiri people at every international forum.
She added that Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir is an occasion to renew the pledge that the Kashmiri people will never be left alone in their just struggle.
The BISP chairperson said the Kashmiri people’s struggle for freedom is a struggle for justice, rights and human dignity.
She urged the international community to conduct an impartial assessment of the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and hold India accountable for the reported violations.
Paying tribute to the martyrs of Kashmir, Rubina Khalid said their sacrifices are a valuable asset of the freedom movement and expressed confidence that their struggle will ultimately succeed.
She said the people of Pakistan stand firmly with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters and fully support their legitimate cause.
She also called on the international community to play an effective role in ending communication restrictions, political repression and human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
She maintained that a just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, remains the only path to durable peace in the region.