The Embassy of Pakistan in France organized a special event marking Youm-e-Istehsal Kashmir, to express solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Messages of the President, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan read out on the occasion, focused on the genesis of the Kashmir dispute, Indian suppression of the people of IIOJK and the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, who is currently visiting France, addressed the Pakistani diaspora at the Embassy. He recalled countless hardships and sacrifices made by the people of IIOJK over the last seventy-nine years which he said would not go in vain. He condemned the measures taken by India in August 2019 and called for resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.
Speaking on the occasion Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed her heartfelt tribute to the Kashmiri people for their continued struggle for the right to self-determination. She said that India continued to deny Kashmiris their fundamental rights in violation of UNSC resolutions, which called for the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people through a fair and impartial plebiscite. She explained the illegal and unprecedented measures taken by India on August 5, 2019, to perpetuate its occupation and alter IIOJK’s demographic and political landscape thus converting Kashmiris into a minority in their own land.
The Ambassador stressed that Jammu & Kashmir dispute remained a national cause and a key pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy. She highlighted the role of Pakistani diplomats in promoting the Kashmir cause and for inviting international attention to Indian crimes in IIOJK. Pakistan, she reiterated, will continue to extend its full moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people until the resolution of the dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Prominent speakers condemned India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019 as blatant violations of UNSC resolutions and international law. The speakers demanded accountability of India for its grave human rights violations. They highlighted Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with Kashmiri brothers and sisters.
A large number of people representing Pakistani diaspora, academics, journalists, students and professionals participated in the event.
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