On the occasion, messages from the President, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister of Pakistan were read out. These messages inter alia expressed solidarity with the people Jammu and Kashmir braving the illegal Indian occupation for over seven decades; reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast political, diplomatic and moral support for the just cause of realizing their inalienable right to self determination; and reiterated Pakistan's call for resolution of the internationally recognized Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Prof. Cheng Xizhong a prominent Chinese scholar and senior research fellow at the Charhar Institute spoke at the occasion as a keynote speaker. He highlighted the significance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in its historic, political, security and humanitarian dimensions; underscored the need to alleviate the sufferings of the Kashmiri people; called for resolution of this long standing dispute by complying with UN Security Council resolutions.
In his remarks, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, H.E. Mr. Khalil Hashmi thanked the Chinese scholars, academics, researchers and media persons for their participation in the symposium. He also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its clear stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and underlined the need for its fair settlement under UN Security Council resolutions and in line with legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Ambassador Hashmi highlighted that the question of Jammu and Kashmir was about the integrity of international law, norms and UN-centred global order. All countries were obligated under the UN charter to comply with the decisions of the UN Security Council. By consistently refusing to implement UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir for over seven decades, India remains in the league of handful states which masquerade as democracies but act as serial violators of international law. Ambassador Hashmi added that India sought to distract global attention from its continued illegal occupation and defiance of rule of law by falsely equating the Kashmiri freedom struggle with terrorism. The Ambassador underlined that early resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was essential to achieving sustainable peace in the region and beyond.
A documentary highlighting the historical context of the Kashmir dispute and egregious human rights violations by Indian security forces in the region was also screened, followed by a photo exhibition.
