The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has warned that India’s continued illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir coupled with the reported brutal suppression, killings and rights violations of the inhabitants of the occupied areas might trigger conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The Pakistani authorities made this known in a statement issued on Monday by its High Commission in Abuja, made available to BusinessDay, to mark this year’s ‘Youm-e-Istehsal’ (Day of Exploitation) with protests against India’s alleged illegal occupation of the areas. It noted that one year ago on August 5, 2019, the Indian government took an illegal decision to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.
Pakistan also accused India of using force to implement the bifurcation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, stressing that this meant the illegal occupation / integration of the erstwhile State into the Indian territory, which is completely against the will of people of Kashmir and violation of UN articles on Kashmir.
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The statement read in parts: “In order to make the complete world aware of this demographic apartheid in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Pakistan has decided that August 5 will always be observed as “Youm-e-Istehsal” (Day of Exploitation).Pakistan urges the world leaders to show solidarity with the innocent people of Kashmir, who are being brutally suppressed by the Indian Armed Forces.
“Pakistan government seeks the support of our brotherly country Nigeria and all international organizations against these inhuman atrocities being perpetuated on innocent Kashmiris and put pressure on the Indian regime to immediately stop demographic apartheid of IIOJK.”
Pakistan also said the Indian government of the BJP party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is following ‘Hindutva ideology,’ which is aimed at turning India into a Hindu-dominated ‘Hindustan’. It added that, in doing so, India has not only manipulated its own constitution, but has also trampled upon democratic norms.
“India has debased the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which recognize the territory as an International Dispute, to which Pakistan is also a legitimate party. These Resolutions promised the people of Kashmir an opportunity to determine their own future through a free and fair plebiscite under UN auspices.
“That promise was reiterated by the Indian Prime Minister Jawarlal Nehru on several occasions, with the assurance that he would respect the verdict of the Kashmiri people and that, if they were to tell India to leave, it would quit Kashmir without hesitation.
“After seven decades, this promise remains unfulfilled. The peaceful protests of the people of IIOJK have been mercilessly suppressed by the Indian Security Forces, who have been reinforced to make IIOJK the most heavily militarized region of the world.
“More than 900,000 troops and para-military forces are deployed in IIOJK, who resort to indiscriminate killing and destruction of properties of innocent Kashmiris. Thousands of youth and local leaders have been arrested without charges and many hundreds have disappeared without trace, suspected to be killed and buried in unmarked graves,” the statement added.
Pakistan condemned what it described as ruthless use of live ammunition and pellet guns to kill and maim thousands of Kashmiris, adding that women have been raped and even children have not been spared the barbarity of the cruel Indian security forces, who are not held accountable for these actions due to draconian laws, specially made for protecting them.
“By supporting the innocent Kashmiris of IIOJK against illegal actions of Indian Occupation Forces, the world must provide justice to innocent Kashmiris by asking India to stop the massacre of men, women and specially children in IIOJK.
“Indian government is aware of the fact that the will of the people can never be changed; therefore, they have started making demographic changes through brutal killings and moving Indian populace from other regions of the country to IIOJK.
“These actions are not acceptable and may lead to a conflict between two nuclear armed states. The fascist regime of Prime Minister Modi can trigger this conflict and peace in the region will always be threatened,” the statement said.
Pakistan also expressed its readiness to take international journalists and observers to the Line of Control, to make them see with their own eyes how Indian Forces are killing innocent Kashmiris through unprovoked firing on Pakistan’s territory.
