Pakistan reaffirms its support for Kashmiris in IOJ&K

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirms its unflinching support and solidarity with the Kashmiri people as the inhuman lockdown in Indian Occupied Kashmir reaches 150 days.

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that as part of its unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmir cause, Pakistan will continue to raise the plight of over 8 million innocent Kashmiris at all international fora.

She said Kashmiris suffer under the brutal occupation of 900,000 Indian security personnel, persecuting them day and night with impunity. She said India’s farcical claims of “normalcy” returning to the situation in the held Valley carry no credibility whatsoever.

She said Pakistan will continue to stress the importance of urgent and effective steps by the world community to address India’s state-terrorism against the Kashmiri people, who are demanding their legitimate right of self-determination as enshrined in the United National Security Council Resolutions.

Aisha said among other things, India must immediately lift the continuing lockdown and communications restrictions imposed in the valley since August 5, free all detainees particularly young children, release the senior Kashmiri leadership, remove all draconian laws including PSA and AFSPA. She also urged that India should withdraw its 900,000 security personnel from the occupied territory, and allow unhindered access to international humanitarian and human rights observers and the international media to the occupied territory.

The Spokesperson said that Islamabad deplores the continuing proclivity of Indian political as well as military leaders to fabricate “facts” with regard to “terrorism” or situation along the Line of Control as part of their attempts to mislead the world and with the possible intention of staging some “false flag” operation.

She said there should be no doubt about Pakistan’s resolve and readiness to thwart against any aggressive Indian move, inside its territory or Azad Jammu and Kashmir. She said no one should forget Pakistan’s befitting response to India’s Balakot misadventure.