ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said Pakistan has consistently advocated a peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
“We urge the international community, particularly the United Nations, to fulfil its responsibility by supporting efforts aimed at ensuring the realisation of the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination,” he said on the eve of Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day on Sunday (today). He paid tribute to the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference on July 19, 1947.
He said the observance of this day “reminds us of the deep-rooted historical, cultural and spiritual bonds between the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir”. “It also reaffirms the enduring significance of respecting the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people in determining their future,” he said, adding that for nearly eight decades, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained unresolved despite the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. “The continued denial of this fundamental right, coupled with persistent human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), remains a matter of serious concern for the international community,” he said.
“I salute the courage, resilience and steadfastness of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have made immense sacrifices in pursuit of their legitimate rights,” he said, adding that Pakistan would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters and extend unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support until they are able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. “May this day renew our collective resolve to work for a peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, leading to enduring peace, security and prosperity in South Asia,” he said.
