- PM Rathore and President Barrister Sultan Ch call for just Kashmir settlement under UN resolutions
- AJK premier says January 26 protests highlight rejection of India’s occupation
- Says bloodshed exposes false claims of normalcy, slamming draconian laws, post-Aug 5 curbs as illegal
- President seeks proactive global role for peace in South Asia, reiterating Kashmiris struggle to continue for self-determination
MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry have urged the international community to fulfil its moral and legal responsibilities on the Kashmir issue and play its due role in securing a just and lasting resolution of the long-standing dispute.
In special statements issued on the eve of India’s Republic Day, the AJK leadership reiterated that Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world are observing January 26 as a Black Day to protest India’s illegal occupation of their homeland.
Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said that January 26 is marked as a Black Day by the Kashmiri people to highlight their rejection of India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the continued bloodshed, oppression and grave human rights violations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he said the prevailing situation exposed the hollowness of India’s claims of normalcy in the region.
He said draconian laws and severe restrictions imposed in the occupied territory were in blatant violation of international law and democratic norms. Highlighting the developments following August 5, 2019, the prime minister said India’s unilateral actions had led to an intensified military siege and the imposition of unjustified curbs on civil liberties in the region.
However, he maintained that India’s policy of oppression and suppression had failed to weaken the resolve of the Kashmiri people or shake their determination for freedom. Reaffirming the Kashmiris’ pledge to carry their liberation struggle to its logical conclusion, Prime Minister Rathore said the people of Kashmir were demanding their fundamental right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations resolutions and would continue their struggle until that goal was achieved.
Kashmiris have shown remarkable courage and resilience against India: Barrister Sultan
In his special statement, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry said that since August 5, 2019, India’s actions had resulted in an intensified siege of the occupied territory, accompanied by severe restrictions on civil liberties.
Despite these measures, he said, the people of Kashmir had demonstrated remarkable courage and resilience, remaining steadfast in the face of repression and refusing to bow to pressure.
He said the observance of January 26 as a Black Day was intended to send a clear message to the international community that Kashmiris would never accept India’s hegemony or its illegal occupation of their motherland.
Describing Kashmir as a United Nations-recognised disputed territory, the AJK president said it was time for the Indian government to acknowledge this reality and pave the way for a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions guaranteeing Kashmiris their fundamental right to self-determination.
He added that, in view of evolving regional and global dynamics, the Kashmir issue required a proactive role by the international community to help ensure lasting peace in South Asia.
