Islamabad: Pakistan’s diplomatic missions across the world observed Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir on Wednesday with seminars, commemorative ceremonies, documentary screenings and public outreach events, reaffirming Pakistan’s continued political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir while condemning India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 ripping off the special status of the occupied valley.
Events were held at Pakistan’s missions in Beijing, Kabul, Tehran and London, where diplomats, parliamentarians, academics, community leaders, media representatives and members of the Pakistani diaspora gathered to mark the day observed annually against India’s revocation of the special constitutional status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), a news release said.
In Beijing, the Embassy of Pakistan organized a solemn ceremony reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the Kashmiri cause. Messages from Pakistan’s leadership condemned India’s actions and reiterated support for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions providing for the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
The ceremony featured remarks by Qian Feng of Tsinghua University’s National Strategy Institute and Cheng Xizhong of the Charhar Institute, who highlighted the importance of a peaceful and just resolution of the dispute in line with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan’s Charg© d’Affaires, Aizaz Khan, criticized India’s policies in IIOJK, describing them as contrary to international law and relevant UN resolutions. A documentary and photographic exhibition depicting the situation in IIOJK were also presented during the event, which was attended by representatives from academia, think tanks, media and the Pakistani community.
At the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul, Ambassador Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani said Pakistan’s diplomatic, political and moral support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination remained a cornerstone of its foreign policy. He stated that Pakistan would continue raising the Kashmir issue at international forums and maintained that India’s actions had failed to gain domestic or international legitimacy.
He also asserted that the resolve of the Kashmiri people remained steadfast despite what he described as attempts to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory.
Messages from Pakistan’s President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister were read, while a documentary on the situation in IIOJK was screened.
Similarly, the Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran organized an event marking the seventh anniversary of India’s August 5, 2019 decision. The ceremony included readings of messages from Pakistan’s leadership, a documentary highlighting developments in IIOJK, and addresses by Iranian scholar Ms. Samaneh Khalafzadeh, Hurriyat leader Syed Faiz Naqashbandi through a video message, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
Speakers emphasized the need to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and highlighted concerns over the situation in IIOJK.
Ambassador Siddiqui said the right to self-determination remained a fundamental principle of international law and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to extending political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people. He also expressed concern over regional developments, including India’s approach towards the Indus Waters Treaty, while calling for adherence to international legal commitments.
At the Pakistan High Commission in London, a hybrid seminar was attended by British parliamentarians including Lord Qurban Hussain, Baroness Nosheena Mobarik, Afzal Khan MP and Adnan Hussain MP, along with prominent community leaders and activists.
Participants condemned India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people and called for an end to alleged human rights violations in IIOJK. They also stressed the need for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Addressing the seminar, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tipu Usman, said Pakistan’s support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir “remains unwavering and unconditional.”
He urged the international community, particularly the United Kingdom, to call on India to reverse the measures taken on August 5, 2019, restore the rights and special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions recognizing the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Messages from President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar were read, while participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Kashmiri martyrs.