Kashmiris observe Right to Self-Determination Day
- By Web Desk -
- Jan 05, 2020
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world have observed the Right to Self-Determination Day today (Sunday), with the pledge that they would continue the struggle for settlement of the Kashmir dispute through a free and fair plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.
It was on this day in 1949 when the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution supporting the Kashmiris’ right to decide their future by themselves through UN-sponsored plebiscite. The day was marked by various activities including rallies, seminars and conferences in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and across the world to remind the UN to save the Kashmiris from the Indian brutalities by implementing its resolutions on Kashmir.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference in a statement issued in Srinagar said that the resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir legitimize the struggle of the Kashmiri people to achieve their right to self-determination. The statement said that these resolutions are testimony to the fact that the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir was unjustified, illegal and against all norms and standards of the international law.
The APHC appealed to the international community particularly the United Nations to hold an impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir so that the Kashmiris can decide their future themselves. The APHC also condemned the continued lockdown of the territory by the Indian government.
Hurriyat leaders including Abdul Majeed Malik, Abdul Majid Mir, Aijaz Rehmani and Advocate Pervez Ahmad Shah in their addresses and statements denounced the continued military siege of occupied Kashmir by India.
Meanwhile, the residents of the Kashmir Valley and Muslim areas of Jammu region continued to face hardships on the 154th consecutive day, today, due to the military siege and lockdown imposed by the Indian authorities. The harsh winter and the closure of Srinagar-Jammu high have added to the miseries of the besieged people.