February 5, 2003	Wednesday	Zul Hijjah 3,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: Reaffirming Pakistan’s moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris, President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali have asked the world community to defend Kashmiris human rights being violated by Indian forces, and said that a just solution of the Kashmir dispute was imperative for peace in South Asia.

In separate messages on the occasion of Kashmir solidarity day being observed on Wednesday (Feb 5), both the leaders expressed complete solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf said in his message: “The people of Pakistan are observing Kashmir solidarity day to reaffirm their steadfast and unflinching support for the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people in the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

“For the last 55 years, India has sought to maintain its illegal hold on Jammu and Kashmir in defiance of the wishes of the Kashmiri people, of UN resolutions and international law. India has also tried unsuccessfully to suppress the Kashmiri people’s just freedom struggle through the brutal use of military force,” the president said.

“India has failed miserably on another front also. Time and again it has conducted sham elections in the occupied state in order to project a semblance of legitimacy to its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

“However, the Kashmiris have on each occasion totally rejected the Indian electoral charades and remained steadfast in their legitimate struggle,” the president said.

“The international community must not let India renege from its legal and moral obligations to let the Kashmiri people decide their future. Neither can it allow India to continue with this policy of state terrorism in order to prolong its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir,” the president said.

Pakistan, the president said, had taken several steps for the commencement of Pakistan-India dialogue for resolution the Kashmir issue.

“We call upon India to stop its repression in Kashmir and respond positively to our peace initiatives.”

Gen Musharraf also reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to seek a peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.

JAMALI: Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali in his message said: “On the occasion of the Kashmir solidarity day the people and the government of Pakistan once again expressed their complete solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for the attainment of their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions.

“For more than half a century, our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have been engaged in a courageous and legitimate struggle for freedom from Indian subjugation.

“Since 1989 the harsh Indian occupation has become a virtual reign of terror. For more than 50 years, India remains in violation of its obligations under international law as well as the commitment made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they would be allowed to freely decide their future through the democratic method of a plebiscite,” the prime minister said.

“On assuming the office of prime minister, I had sincerely offered resumption of dialogue to India. Pakistan is a recognized party to the Kashmir dispute and has moral and legal obligations to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“My government will, therefore, continue to extend full political, moral and diplomatic support to the freedom movement underway in the occupied Kashmir,” Mr Jamali added.

“We demand an immediate end to India’s gross and systematic violations of the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people. We urge the international community, particularly the UN Security Council to redeem its commitment to the Kashmiri people. We appeal to all freedom-loving people around the world to extend their support to the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people.

“The Kashmir dispute today is a subject of international focus. There is an international recognition that this dispute lies at the heart of the tensions and hostilities in the region.

“There is an overwhelming acknowledgement that a solution of this fundamental issue is imperative for regional peace and security. It is not lost upon anyone that peace in South Asia is dependent on a fair settlement of the Kashmir dispute that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the prime minister added.