The Pakistani High Commission (PHC) in the UK organised an event to observe the Right to Self-Determination Day for the People of Jammu and Kashmir. A large number of Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora as well as members of civil society organisations and media attended the event. The people expressed solidarity with the Kashmiris and supported their just cause of self-determination as promised in the relevant UN resolutions.
On 5 th January every year, Kashmiris around the world observe Right to Self-Determination Day. On this day in 1949, the United Nations gave commitment to the people of Kashmir that the dispute would be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. Through this resolution, the United Nations affirmed its support for the realization of the inalienable right to self-determination of the Kashmiris.
The occasion was used to display photos depicting Indian atrocities against defenceless Kashmiris. The photos reminded the visitors of an unending trail of torture and atrocities, which have been duly documented by the international organisations and INGOs such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, IPHRC, IPTK, JKCHR, international media, etc.
Pakistan High Commissioner (HC) Mohammad Nafees Zakaria addressed the attendees and gave interviews to the media. He briefed on the background of Kashmir dispute, and the human tragedy that has resulted from the non-implementation of the UNSC Resolutions. Zakaria gave a detailed account of the sufferings of the Kashmiris. He urged the international community’s immediate intervention to end bloodshed of the Kashmiris and delivery of justice to the victims. The HC said it has been over 05 months that the Kashmiris are under Indian siege, with reports of their killings, illegal detentions of tens of thousands, enforced disappearances and harrowing tales of torture by 900,000 Indian occupation forces as well as shortage of food and medicines adding to their sufferings.
HC expressed that the grave human rights situation warranted punitive action against India. He regretted the inaction of the champions of the human rights protection in the face of persistent violations of the rights of the Kashmiris.
Zakaria said that Pakistan will continue its moral, political and diplomatic support to inalienable right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir as enshrined in the UN resolutions. He said the United Nations, especially the Security Council, has the responsibility to fulfil its commitment of granting the right to self-determination to the Kashmiris.
PHC has been regularly expressing solidarity with the Kashmiris since the siege started on 5th August 2019 with unilateral measures by India to change the status of Kashmir in violation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir and related international conventions.
