To express solidarity with the oppressed people of Indian occupied Kashmir engaged in a struggle to achieve their legitimate right to self-determination, a ceremony was organized in Pakistan Embassy, Tehran today. Messages of the President and Prime Minister were read to the audience comprising Iranian scholars, academicians, intellectuals, media persons, members of the Pakistani community, Pakistani and Iranian students from Urdu Department, Tehran University, says a press release received here today from Tehran. Ambassador Asif Durrani, in his speech, paid rich tributes to the valiant people of Kashmir who have laid down their lives in the struggle for attaining their right to self- determination. He said that Kashmir and Palestine are the two oldest issues on the UN agenda and UN resolutions on the Kashmir issue clearly state that the Kashmiri people will decide their fate in a UN supervised plebiscite. The Indian leaders and governments gave commitment to the world community of allowing right to self-determination through UN supervised plebiscite. However, despite lapse of more than seven decades India has persistently reneged its promises of implementing UN resolutions and continue to deny the Kashmiris their legitimate right. While referring to the atrocities committed by Indian occupation forces in Kashmir, the Ambassador highlighted the reign of terror unleashed by the occupation forces against innocent Kashmiris. Over hundred thousand have been martyred, thousands tortured and raped for raising their voice against India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, the Indian forces have employed new tactics by deliberately blinding thousands of innocent civilians by pellet guns and making thousands of “half widows”, the fate of whose husbands is not known. The Ambassador reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and extended Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support to the just cause of the Kashmiri people. He hoped that their right to self-determination would be safeguarded through a free and impartial plebiscite in line with the UN resolutions. Iranian Scholars Dr. Reza Mustafavi and Dr. Qasim Safi and a senior Iranian student from Urdu Department, Tehran University, in their speeches, highlighted the plight of the Kashmiri people expressing solidarity with them and hoped that they will achieve their right to self-determination. A short documentary on the Kashmir solidarity Day was also screened on the occasion. *****
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