Muzaffarabad; Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Iftikhar Gilani, has called upon the United Nations to implement its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir to ensure a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the long-standing dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He made these remarks while addressing the central ceremony marking Kashmir Black Day in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday. The event was jointly organized by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell and attended by political leaders representing both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). Strongly condemning India’s military intervention in Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947, the Prime Minister described it as a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and the principles of international law. He said the Kashmiri people had rendered unparalleled sacrifices for their right to freedom and self-determination, adding that no nation understood the price of liberty better than the people of Kashmir. Despite decades of repression and human rights violations, he maintained, India had failed to suppress the Kashmiri people’s indigenous freedom movement or extinguish their determination to secure their fundamental rights. Paying rich tribute to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Prime Minister Gilani said they continued to carry forward the struggle for the completion of Pakistan. He cited the burial of Kashmiri martyrs wrapped in Pakistan’s national flag as a powerful expression of their enduring attachment to Pakistan. The Prime Minister further stated that, following India’s unilateral and unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019, the Indian government had pursued measures aimed at altering the demographic composition of the occupied territory. Emphasizing the importance of political unity, he urged all political parties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to rise above their differences and prioritize the larger cause of Kashmir’s freedom. He stressed the need for collective introspection to determine whether internal divisions were undermining the broader liberation struggle. Reaffirming solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Gilani said the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir stood shoulder to shoulder with their Kashmiri brethren in their struggle for the internationally recognized right to self-determination. He asserted that a strong, stable and prosperous Pakistan remained vital to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and their struggle for freedom. Commending the Pakistan Armed Forces for their role in last year’s confrontation with India, the Prime Minister said the historic success in Marka-e-Haq had strengthened national confidence, filled Pakistanis and Kashmiris with pride, and demonstrated Pakistan’s defense capabilities to the international community. Reiterating his unwavering commitment to the Kashmir cause, Prime Minister Gilani expressed confidence that the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people would not go in vain. He said the ultimate objective remained the realization of their aspirations and the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of its people.
