Kashmiris Reaffirm Commitment to Right of Self-Determination on January 5
Islamabad: A seminar marking the Right of Self-Determination Day was jointly organized by Friends of Kashmir, the Parliamentary Kashmir Committee, and Kashmir Media Service at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS). The event was attended by political leaders, diplomats, civil society representatives, and Hurriyat leaders, who renewed calls for the resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
Speakers at the seminar emphasized the implementation of the UN resolutions of January 5, 1949, which recognize the right of the Kashmiri people to determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite. Participants expressed concern over the continued delay in resolving the dispute and urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities.
Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said January 5 serves as a reminder of the commitments made by the United Nations to the people of Kashmir. He strongly condemned what he described as ongoing and grave human rights violations by Indian forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Kashmiri struggle for freedom has continued for generations and would ultimately succeed. He reiterated Pakistan’s political, diplomatic, and moral support for Kashmiris and praised the country’s armed forces for their firm response to Indian aggression, noting that women and children in occupied Kashmir remain particularly vulnerable.
Chairman Parliamentary Kashmir Committee Rana Qasim Noon described Kashmir as Pakistan’s lifeline and said the right to self-determination is an inalienable and fundamental right of the Kashmiri people. He stated that decades of repression had failed to suppress the Kashmiri freedom movement and urged the international community to stop ignoring the suffering of Kashmiris. He stressed that lasting peace in South Asia is not possible without a just resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Former Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that despite the passage of more than seven decades, Kashmiris continue to face oppression. He emphasized the need for Pakistan to more effectively highlight the Kashmir issue at the global level through awareness campaigns and educational initiatives. Current Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi highlighted the international legal status of Kashmir and said persistent human rights violations by India make the implementation of the right to self-determination imperative.
Minister of State Nabeela Ayub, Chairman Islamabad Chamber of Commerce Sardar Tahir, Speaker of the AJK Legislative Assembly Chaudhry Latif Akbar, and Chairman KIIR and APHC leader Altaf Hussain Wani also addressed the seminar, stating that January 5 serves as a reminder to the world of its obligation to uphold the rights of the Kashmiri people.
Social activist Dr. Sawera Parkash from the Hindu minority community in Buner said that the letter “P” represents both Pakistan and Palestine, while “I” stands for India and Israel. She said the Kashmiri struggle is part of a broader global struggle for justice, peace, and human dignity.
Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader in Azad Kashmir Dr. Muhammad Khan said the Kashmir issue remains complex but resolvable. He lauded Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people and said Kashmiris proudly declare their association with Pakistan. He emphasized that only the Kashmiri people have the right to decide the future of Kashmir and that this right must be granted without delay.
Kashmiri leader and Vice Chairman Friends of Kashmir Abdul Hameed Lone said the day renews the resolve to continue the struggle for justice and reaffirms Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Kashmiri people. He urged the international community to ensure the implementation of UN resolutions.
At the conclusion of the seminar, speakers unanimously reiterated Pakistan’s principled support for the Kashmiri cause and called on the international community to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action, stressing that durable peace in the region remains unattainable without granting Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
