Message of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, on Youm-e-Istehsal (5 August, 2023)

India unleashed its illegal and unilateral actions on 5 August 2019 in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) with the aim of disempowering, disenfranchising, and dispossessing the Kashmiri people in their own land. These measures were designed to permanently occupy the disputed territory and erase its distinct Kashmiri character.

Today, India deviously attempts to convince the world that Jammu and Kashmir is an undisputed part of its territory. However, it was India that took the Jammu and Kashmir issue to the Security Council, where the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir was internationally recognized. It was decided that the final disposition of the State should be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).

The indomitable will and courage of the Kashmiri people have enabled them to withstand every Indian attempt to terrorize and subjugate them. Despite all of India’s massive coercive methods, they have not been able to extinguish their yearning for freedom. India has been trampling upon the rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people through machinations and intrigue for the last 75 years. However, since 5 August 2019, IIOJK has been transformed into an open prison.

India’s continued denial of the rights of the Kashmiri people is a wrongful and illegal act. No amount of diplomatic duplicity or Indian state-perpetrated terror can change this fact. India must fulfil its obligations to the Security Council by granting the Kashmiri people their lawful right to self-determination.

For its part, Pakistan will continue to be the voice of its Kashmiri brothers and sisters, who have been making invaluable sacrifices, and would extend all possible support for the fullest realization of their legitimate rights. We have no doubt that durable peace and stability in South Asia can only be achieved through a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

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