Pakistan reiterates commitment to advocate for IIoK

NEW YORK: Pakistan said it will continue to raise voice for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIoK) for their inalienable and United Nations (UN) sanctioned right to self-determination.

Talking to a 12-member delegation of the students belonging to Eckerd College, St. Petersburg Florida, in New York, Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Usman Jadoon underlined the centrality of the Kashmir cause to Pakistan’s foreign policy.

He said that unless the long-standing problem of Jammu and Kashmir is settled in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiris, there cannot be a lasting peace in South Asia or the unlocking of regional economic potential.

Israel’s prolonged murderous campaign in Gaza, according to Ambassador Usman Jadoon, is a failure of the international system, defined by the UN Security Council’s immobility.

He said that the Middle East as a whole will stay unstable and undermine regional and international peace and stability until Palestinians were given the opportunity to establish their own state.

Usman Jadoon said Pakistan is staunchly opposed to the addition of new permanent members to the Security Council. He said that as part of Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, Pakistan wants the reform process to be undertaken in such a way that makes the Council more democratic, efficient, transparent and accountable.

Earlier in his message on Right to Self-Determination Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said it is time for the international community, including the United Nations, to live up to their promises on Kashmir dispute.

He said it is time for meaningful measures which enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable rights.

The 5th January is commemorated each year as ‘Right to Self-Determination Day’ for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also said that, the principle of self-determination is fundamental to the UN Charter and international law.