Federal Minister for Law and Justice and Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, in his message on Kashmir Black Day, said that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute whose final settlement must be in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the free will of the Kashmiri people.
The Federal Minister said that the people of Kashmir have the fundamental right to decide their own future, adding that the denial of their right to self-determination remains a major obstacle to lasting peace and stability in the region. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people and their legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.
Expressing deep concern over the human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that reports of arbitrary arrests, illegal detention, restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, demolition of homes, and collective punishment of civilians warrant the urgent attention of the international community.
He also expressed concern over India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, and attempts to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory. He emphasised that transparent investigations into human rights violations, accountability for those responsible, and access to justice for victims are essential.
The Federal Minister urged the international community and the United Nations to play an effective role in protecting human rights in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring that the Kashmiri people are able to exercise their fundamental rights.
He said that lasting peace and stability in South Asia are intrinsically linked to a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Pakistan, he added, will continue to support a settlement in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.
