![Pakistan’s Prime Minister urges international action for Kashmir's right to self-determination on Right to Self-Determination Day. [Image via Pakistan Today]](https://southasiatimes.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PM-Shehbaz-Sharif.webp)
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on the international community, including the United Nations, to fulfill their commitments and take meaningful actions to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.
In a message marking the Right to Self-Determination Day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, observed on January 5, 2025, the Prime Minister emphasized that this day has been annually commemorated as the ‘Right to Self-Determination Day’ since 1949. On this day, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted a historic resolution guaranteeing a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, allowing the Kashmiri people to realize their inalienable right to self-determination.
Historic Significance: Right to Self-Determination Day for Jammu and Kashmir
Prime Minister Sharif highlighted the importance of the day in the context of the United Nations’ involvement in Kashmir’s self-determination. “The right to self-determination is a core principle of the UN Charter, as well as international law. Every year, the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution affirming the legal right of people to decide their own destiny,” he said. “However, it is regrettable that for over seven decades, the Kashmiri people have been denied the opportunity to exercise this fundamental right.”
Also See: AJK PM Urges United Nations to Implement Kashmir Resolutions
The UN’s Role in Kashmir’s Right to Self-Determination: A Promised Plebiscite
The Prime Minister underscored the historical significance of the UNCIP’s 1949 resolution, which explicitly promised a plebiscite to allow the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their future. He also noted the continued commitment of the international community, through annual resolutions, to support the realization of this right for people under foreign occupation.
Ongoing Struggles: India’s Actions in Jammu and Kashmir Since 2019
Prime Minister Sharif expressed deep concern over India’s ongoing actions in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly since the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. “India has continued to take multiple steps to consolidate its occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), undermining the internationally recognized disputed nature of the territory,” he said. He highlighted India’s attempts to alter the demographic and political structure of the region, aimed at transforming the Kashmiri people from a majority to a disempowered minority in their own homeland.
The Prime Minister also condemned the widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed against the Kashmiri people, including the suppression of their legitimate struggle for self-determination and freedom.
Pakistan’s Continued Commitment to Supporting Kashmir’s Right to Self-Determination
Reaffirming Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Kashmiri people’s cause, Prime Minister Sharif stated, “Pakistan will continue to extend its full moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for self-determination.” He emphasized that this support aligns with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
International Community’s Responsibility to Address Human Rights Violations in Kashmir
The Prime Minister concluded by urging the international community to take immediate action to halt the ongoing human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. He called for the release of political prisoners, the restoration of fundamental rights, and the cessation of all oppressive measures against the Kashmiri people, emphasizing the need for a just and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue in line with international law.
Pakistan remains committed to working with the international community to ensure that the Kashmiri people can finally realize their right to self-determination, as promised by the United Nations over seven decades ago.
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