ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to extend unwavering political, diplomatic, and moral support to the Kashmiri people in their quest for a fair and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
During a weekly press briefing held on Monday, the spokesperson of the Foreign Office stated that on the 5th of August, the Pakistani nation expressed complete solidarity with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters on the fourth anniversary of India’s illegal and unilateral actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in 2019.
Since then, India has undertaken several measures to change the demographic composition of IIOJK and intensify its repression of the Kashmiri people. These measures include selective delimitation of electoral constituencies, the issuance of fake domiciles to non-Kashmiris, and the addition of hundreds of thousands of temporary residents to manipulate existing voter rolls. These actions, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, seek to disenfranchise the people of Kashmir and reduce them to a disempowered minority in their own land.
Pakistan firmly believes that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have the right to determine their own future through a UN-supervised plebiscite, as outlined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Responding to a question regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the spokesperson stated that Pakistan supports all efforts aimed at facilitating peace and dialogue between the two nations. Pakistan welcomes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s initiative to find common ground for constructive dialogue.
In response to another query about the Indian Supreme Court hearing on petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, the spokesperson reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory. Its final status should be determined in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Pakistan has never recognized India’s control or occupation of Kashmir, and any provision of the Indian constitution that perpetuates the illegal occupation is not accepted by Pakistan. The unilateral and illegal measures taken by India since 2019 to alter the demographic and political landscape in IIOJK are of great concern to Pakistan, as they seek to disempower the Kashmiri people. Pakistan rejects these measures and calls for their reversal in order to create an environment conducive to peace and dialogue.