MIRPUR ( AJK): , Jan 05 (APP) : The people of Jammu Kashmir, state on both sides of the line of control and rest of the world, on Friday commemorated the Right of Self Determination Day with the renewal of the pledge to continue their ongoing indigenous struggle, with full vigor for securing their legitimate right of self determination through implementation of the U.N resolutions passed this day 75 years ago in 1949.
This year too, the Day was observed when India abrogated the special status of the internationally-acknowledged disputed state of the Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir through scrapping article 370 and 35-A of her own constitution since August 05, 2019 sinister act by turning entire Indian Illegally occupied Kashmir valley into the world’s largest prison for the last over 04 years through confining freedom-monger innocent population in the bleeding valley of Kashmir into their houses and complete information blockade since the above bleak day of the history of the internationally-acknowledged disputed Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In Azad Jammu Kashmir, special gatherings were hosted by various social and political organizations in various parts of the liberated territory were the hallmark of the day. The special meetings highlighted the importance of early grant of the right of self determination to Jammu Kashmir people.
They vehemently condemned the repeated violation of the line of control by India through the frequent incidents of the unprovoked firing by the Indian troops on the LoC in AJK facing occupied Jammu and Kashmir state. They called upon the UNO and other international community to take immediate notice of the increased aggressive designs of India in the region, which they warned, may turn into a conventional war in the region.
The speakers called upon the world body to fulfill its due responsibilities to ensure early holding of plebiscite in the disputed Jammu Kashmir state to pave the way for early grant of right of self determination to Kashmiris being waited for last 75 years.
The speakers reiterated the Kashmiris just and principled stance before the world that they would continue their struggle for the right of self determination till the achievement of the ultimate goal.
They particularly highlighted the reality with the earnest demand about early grant of the birth right of self determination to Kashmiris without further loss of time and which was being denied by India since last 75 years because of her traditional hostile and stubborn attitude.
The Day reiterates the long cherished demand of the Kashmiris that they should be granted their birth right to decide about their destiny under the spirit of the internationally-acknowledged U.N resolutions.
Kashmiris observe this day every year to invite the attention of the world especially to remind United Nations Organization to immediately move for implementation of January 5, 1949 UN resolutions on Kashmir to ensure the early grant of Internationally-acknowledged right to self determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir enabling them to decide about their destine through a free and fair plebiscite in the internationally-acknowledged disputed Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir without further loss of time.
New Delhi is denying the Jammu and Kashmir people of their legitimate right of self determination at the might over a million of her occupying troops in occupied Jammu and Kashmir since over last 76 years and most particularly through the unilateral August 5, 2019 nefarious act of scrapping the special status of the internationally-acknowledged disputed Jammu Kashmir state.
Addressing a rally in Mirpur, the speakers demanded immediate taking up of the Indian sinister and unilateral act of August 05, 2019 that had scrapped special status of the disputed Jammu Kashmir State, in the international court of justice to challenge the unlawful action exercised at gun point by the fascist Modi-led Indian government.
The Self Determination Day protest rally was staged in collaboration with district administration, civil society, lawyers, trade unions, teachers, students from Kachery to Chowk Shaheedan.
Chairman National Events Organizing Committee and Deputy Commissioner Yasir Riaz Chaudhry, Extra Assistant Commissioner Syed Kaleem Abbas, Tehsildar Mirpur Ch. Imran Yousaf, Joint Secretary District Bar Association Mirpur Faisal Usman, President Sabir Hussain Shah of Mirpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DFO Raja Imran Shafi and others led the rally.
Furious congregation comprising thousands of people chanted anti India slogans by demanding of UNO to implement its resolution of 5 January 1949 on free and fair plebiscite in Jammu Kashmir state. The speakers strongly condemned the human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Reiterating full solidarity with valiant armed forces of Pakistan, the participants raised Pakistan Zindabad and Pak Army Zindaabad slogans. They were holding placards and banners bearin slogans of ‘Give Kashmiris their birth Right to Self-Determination.
In Kotli district, a rally was held by trade union leaders, local journalists and lawyers, in collaboration with district administration Kotli.
Deputy Commissioner Kotli Ch Haq Nawaz and other representative leaders of the local civil society led the rally from DC Office kotli to Aabshar chowk Kotli.
Addressing the rally, the speakers including DC Ch. Haq Nawaz called upon the UNO to immediately move for holding free and fair plebiscite in Jammu Kashmir State under its resolutions to pave the way for grant of right to self-determination to Kashmiris without further delay.
In forward town of Samahni close to the LoC in Bhimber district, the a rally was held to mark the Day.
An identical mammoth rally to mark Self Determination Day was also held in Kotli district.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 05 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Dr. Umar Saif, announced on Friday that the Pakistan Startup Fund is set to be launched on January 9.
In an interview with private TV channels, Dr. Saif expressed confidence in the immense potential of Pakistani youth, highlighting that Pakistan is the world’s second-largest online workforce.
Over the past four years, Pakistani startups have attracted nearly $800 million in foreign investment, according to Dr. Saif.
He also mentioned that Pakistan ranks as the seventh-largest market for mobile phones globally, with 75 million broadband users.
Dr. Saif said social media users in Pakistan, surpass the total population of Canada.
Discussing initiatives for IT education, Dr. Umar Saif mentioned ongoing efforts to conduct tests for IT scholarships, indicating a commitment to fostering talent and innovation in the technology sector.
ISLAMABAD, Jan 5 (APP):Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Friday called upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to live up to their promises and take necessary measures to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise the right of self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“It must also call for an immediate cessation of human rights violations, and the restoration of the rights and fundamental freedoms of the Kashmiri people,” he said in his message on the occasion of Right to Self-Determination Day.
FM Jilani said the fifth of January is annually observed as the Right to Self-Determination Day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day in 1949, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted a resolution that guarantees a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, to enable the Kashmiri people to realize their right to self-determination.
He highlighted that the right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law. Every year, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution that reaffirms the legal right of people to decide their own destiny. It expresses unequivocal support for the realization of the right to self-determination for people under foreign occupation. Regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right.
He said India is taking a number of steps to consolidate its occupation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which is an internationally-recognized disputed territory.
“Following its illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, India’s efforts have been aimed at engineering demographic and political changes so that the Kashmiris are reduced to a disempowered community in their own land. The Indian Supreme Court’s recent verdict is yet another manifestation of India’s desire to undermine the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people,” he added.
India is also subjecting the Kashmiri people to systematic human rights violations. It has created an environment of fear to crush dissent in IIOJK.
“For its part, Pakistan will continue to extend its unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support to the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the foreign minister added.
BEIJING, Jan 5 (APP): With deepening bilateral collaboration in the chilli industry, the sector in Pakistan will continue to thrive and expand steadily, which will also pave the way for the flourishing pepper trade with China.
Pakistan is the fourth largest chilli producer globally, with 150,000 acres of farms yielding 143,000 tonnes annually. This remarkable production capacity positions Pakistan favourably in the global chilli market.
At the same time, China’s soaring demand for dry chilli, surpassing 200,000 tons annually, presents a significant opportunity for Pakistan to tap into a lucrative market and expand its pepper exports.
The China-Pakistan Chilli farming project, a crucial component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, can serve as a great example. Spanning 16,000 acres of chilli farming land, the project adopts an order-based contract farming model.
The program has successfully trained over 1500 agricultural technicians in Pakistan, which led to a 100,000 Pakistani Rupee increase in per-acre output, reaching three times the unit production value of traditional crops, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.
Awis Mir, CEO and Founder of DEA Group of Companies, explains the benefits of collaborative partnerships, stating, “Chinese companies are not only providing technical support and guidance for seedling cultivation, field management, harvesting and drying of chilli pepper, but also establishing a system that connects Chinese buyers with guaranteed demand.”
This system creates clusters of buyers, including state-owned enterprises, streamlining the supply chain and ensuring market access for Pakistani chilli exporters.
As a significant milestone in the project’s progression and Pakistan’s agricultural exports, the first consignment of Pakistani chilli was shipped to China earlier this month.
Despite its great potential and remarkable advancement, the chili industry in Pakistan still faces challenges. According to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Pakistan exported 2,751 tons of dried red chilli peppers in 2019, which decreased to 1,665 tons in 2022.
“The severe flooding in these years has adversely affected chilli production within the country. There are also problems in the drying process as well,” remarks Muhammad Irfan, Trade and Investment Counselor of the Pakistan Consulate in Guangzhou.
“To solve the related problems, Pakistan and China have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements. Pakistan, in particular, is offering land with preferential policies, especially in areas prone to floods, as part of their efforts to support the chilli industry and mitigate the impact of climate change,” Irfan added.
It was also pointed out that the China-Pakistan Food Export Processing Zone will be established by the end of the year 2025.
BEIJING, Jan 5 (APP): Khunjerab Pass, temporarily reopened by the Chinese government on Jan 2, will remain open till Jan 16 to facilitate trade between Pakistan and China.
Situated at an elevation exceeding 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level, the Khunjerab Pass serves as the highest paved international border, linking Pakistan and China. The pass, an important land route linking Pakistan and China, is conventionally closed from November to March each year due to extreme cold weather conditions, according to local media reports.
The border crossing, which links Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) autonomous region with China’s Xinjiang, was previously reopened in April 2023 after nearly three years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a visit to China in October of the same year, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar announced plans to transform Khunjerab Pass into an ‘all-weather’ border. However, the pass has remained closed since December 1 due to harsh winter weather.
The Chinese had agreed to open the border temporarily during the specified period (January 2-16) to allow the passage of a few Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) consignments and address the issue of Chinese containers stranded on the Pakistani side since December 1.
TIR is an international customs transit system that simplifies border procedures for road transport, reducing the administrative burden for customs authorities.
According to a letter issued by the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, only transportation vehicles, drivers, and cargoes will be permitted to pass during this period.
Approximately 25 empty containers, along with Chinese drivers who were stranded in Pakistan, are expected to cross the Khunjerab border into China.
Around 22 transit consignments under TIR will move from Pakistan to China and the Central Asian Republics (CARs), while three export consignments and eight project consignments meant for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam are set to traverse the border.
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