MIRPUR (AJK): Sep 23 (APP): Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while terming Kashmir dispute as one of the oldest disputes pending on the United Nations’ agenda, said on Friday it was high time that the UN and OIC must come forward to support Kashmiris the right to self-determination.
The AJK President expressed these views while addressing a special meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the United Nations here, on Friday, according to AJK President office.
Speaking on the occasion, the AJK President, while referring to Indian’s traditional intransigence said that India’s perpetual denial to grant right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir State was the main reason that the issue continues to linger on for the past 75 years.
He said that it was long overdue that the UN should come forward in a big way and influence the government of India to implement the UNSC resolutions that guarantee the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.
Referring to worsening human rights situation in the Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the President pointed out that in addition to police and paramilitary forces the Indian government had deployed over a half million armed forces in Kashmir to quell the Kashmiris’ legitimate political struggle for right to self-determination.
He said that the massive troops’ concentration in the region was one of main causes of human rights violations in the disputed territory.
Since August 5, 2019, he said, that deployment of additional forces had further worsened the human rights situation in Kashmir.
Citing the Modi government’s political and administrative machinations in Kashmir, the AJK President said that in the aftermath of 2019, the Indian government had intensified its efforts to change the region’s demography to convert Muslim majority state into a minority. He said that changing the region’s electoral map through reorganization of constituencies was deep rooted conspiracy to bring a Hindu chief minister in the state.
He, however, maintained that India’s policy of oppression and suppression could not dampen the Kashmiris’ spirit and their passion for freedom.
The AJK president made a passionate appeal to the international community in particular the UN and OIC to play their much-needed role to resolve the Kashmir issue to mitigate the unending sufferings of Kashmiris who have been reeling under India’s belligerent military occupation.
He said that it was high time that the UN and OIC must openly support the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and use their influence on India to resolve the Kashmir issue and stop the ongoing violation of human rights in Occupied Kashmir.
