Kashmiris observe right to self-determination day

MIRPUR: The President, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan has said India must realise that the Kashmiri people cannot be deprived of their inalienable right to self determination and freedom through military might.Masood was addressing a conference commemorating the right to Self Determination Day hosted by Jamaat Islami Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. He said “the right to self-determination is mother of all the rights and is one of the basic principles of human rights and dignity. No power on earth can snatch the will of Kashmiri people for their legitimate and undeniable right to self determination,” he said. Referring to the brutalities of the Indian military forces in the occupied Kashmir, the AJK President urged the international community to intervene and help ease the sufferings of Kashmiri people who are peacefully demanding their UN-mandated rights. "The appalling and inhumane situation in Kashmir, caused by the Indian Occupation army, has deteriorated to unheard levels of depravity," said Khan.The AJK president said people of Indian-held Kashmir are experiencing the most testing time in their history as the Indian occupation forces are engaged in committing atrocities against them. Despite the appalling tyrannies, suppression and the human rights abuses against them their spirit for liberation has not died down, he added. Terming the United Nations as a guarantor and one of the parties to the Kashmir conflict, President Masood Khan said the UN resolutions have not been implemented because of the Indian intransigence. It is the responsibility of the United Nations to explore other options available under its Charter, he said.Masood highly appreciated the consistent unswerving struggle of the Jamaat Islami and other political parties in both parts of Kashmir and urged the politically active youth to equip themselves with the tools of mass media especially in the social media to project Kashmiri people’s struggle for their right to self determination in an effective manner.The conference was also addressed by Amir Jamaat Islami Azad Kashmir, Dr.Khalid Mahmood, former Amir Jamaat Islami Azad Kashmir, Sardar Ejaz Afzal Khan, Amir Jamaat Islami, Gilgit Baltistan, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, President Islamic Circle of South Africa, Dr.Haroon-ur-Rashid,Raja Fazal Tabbasum and others.Meanwhile, the People of Jammu and Kashmir living at both sides of the Line of Control and the rest of the world observed the Right to Self Determination Day with the renewed pledge to continue their ongoing indigenous struggle with full vigor till the achievement of their legitimate right through implementation of the U.N resolutions.The Kashmiris observe this day every year to invite the attention of the world especially to remind the UN to immediately move for implementation of January 5, 1949 UN resolutions on Kashmir to ensure the early grant of the internationally-acknowledged right to self determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.In Azad Jammu Kashmir the public rallies, besides special meetings and seminars at all district headquarters besides the Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Rawalakot and other places were the hallmark of the day. They highlighted the importance of early grant of the right to self determination to Jammu Kashmir people. In Mirpur, a special protest meeting, participated by all segments of the civil society was held under the auspices of the local civil society’s forum.The rallies warned that the people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will respond to every aggressive posture of India against Pakistan or AJK shoulder to shoulder with the valiant armed forces of Pakistan for the defense of the motherland. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir will not hesitate from giving any sacrifice for the defense of the sovereignty and the ideological and geographical frontiers of Pakistan including AJK in case of any aggression from across the frontiers, they warned.The meetings strongly condemned the repeated violations of the Line of Control and the Working Boundary by India. They called upon the UN and the international community to take urgent notice of the aggressive designs of India in the region which they warned, may turned into a conventional war.Our correspondent adds from Islamabad: Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference office-bearers and other Kashmiri activists held a peaceful demonstration in front of the UN MOGIP. Speakers called on the world body to play its due role in ensuring the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. The event was held to mark the UN self-determination day.The protestors carried banners, which read: January 05, Right of Self-Determination Day and Struggle till self-determination to continue.Meanwhile, an exhibit of rare pictures went on display here on Saturday, showcasing the genesis, preceding events and to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN resolution on Kashmir plebiscite.Exactly on this day, i.e. January 5, 1949, the UN Commission for India and Pakistan passed a resolution stipulating UN-supervised referendum, or plebiscite in the resolution’s language, so citizens of the State of Jammu & Kashmir could decide to join either Pakistan or India. This requirement is pending mainly because of India’s invasion and annexation of Kashmir.Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Quraishi, Executive Director of YFK said that Kashmiris and the world are coming closer to resolving Kashmir conflict.

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