India asked to respect people’s rights in IIOJK | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Friday said India must respect the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people, most importantly their fundamental right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said, “Pakistan believes that the path to lasting peace and stability in South Asia lies in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.”

He said, “The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) freely enjoy their civil and political rights and actively participate in shaping their democratic future.”

He said Pakistan remained firmly committed to upholding its dignity, safeguarding its rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and protest, respecting its sentiments, and advancing its socio-economic development.

“This commitment reflects not only our constitutional responsibility but also our enduring moral obligation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

He said, “In stark contrast, our brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue to face a grim reality under occupation.”

“The use of brute force, denial of fundamental freedoms, and systematic and grave human rights violations have become the hallmark of India’s state-sponsored terrorism against the innocent Kashmiri people to suppress their just struggle,” he continued, adding, “Efforts to silence dissent, demographic engineering, and the denial of civil liberties underscore the severity of the situation.”

He said, “Rather than casting unwarranted aspersions on AJK, India must reckon with its obligations under international law and the UN Charter.”