PM Shehbaz says South Asia peace will remain elusive until Kashmir resolution
Islamabad: Lasting peace and stability in South Asia will remain elusive until Kashmir dispute is resolved, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday as Pakistan marks “Black Day” to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in Pakistan, multiple rallies are held to mark the event, during which participants express their solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle against the takeover .
As per Arab News report, nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory. In May, the two countries engaged in a brief military confrontation.
Islamabad says India is denying Kashmiris the right to self-determination and consistently urges the international community to force India to hold a plebiscite as per the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
“Lasting peace and stability in South Asia will remain elusive without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” Sharif said as per a statement issued by his office.
Ties between India and Pakistan hit a new low since Aug. 5, 2019, when New Delhi revoked semi-autonomous status of the part of Kashmir it controls, dividing it into two union territories.
The Pakistani prime minister said India is imposing “draconian laws” in the disputed territory, alleging that New Delhi had “unleashed a systematic campaign of violence and brutality” to silence legitimate political voices of the Kashmiris.
“The unlawful and unjustified incarceration of several prominent Kashmiri leaders and activists, as well as media personalities, is an ugly manifestation of this Indian extremist agenda,” he said.
Sharif assured the people of Kashmir that Pakistan stands “resolutely” beside them.
“We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will never relent in our commitment to the Kashmir cause, until justice is done and the promise of self-determination, pledged by the international community, is finally fulfilled,” he said.
