PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Monday expressed solidarity with the people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their fight for freedom and urged the global community to intervene to end their oppression and grant the right to self-determination to them.

The call was given through resolutions unanimously adopted by the house during a special session called to mark the Youm-i-Istehsal Kashmir.

The members observed one-minute silence in solidarity with Kashmiris.

Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who chaired the sitting, criticised the Indian government for revoking the special status granted to the occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.

He also resented Indian violation of UN resolutions on the Kashmir issue.

Seek self-determination right for Kashmiris

“We stand with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters and request the international community to ensure an end to violations of their rights as well as the grant of the right to self-determination to them,” he said.

Food minister Mohammad Zahir Shah said the people of KP stood with Kashmiris in their fight for freedom from India, while condemning their continued oppression.

He urged the international community to take note of rights violations in the occupied territory.

“The India-held Kashmir has long been witnessing curfews, arbitrary arrests, and human rights violations by occupation forces, to the misery of residents, including women, children and the elderly. We cannot overlook them,” he said.

JUI-F member Rehana Ismail insisted that over 10 million personnel of the Indian Army were deployed in the occupied Kashmir.

She said Pakistan should strengthen its foreign policy to advocate for the Kashmir cause and strongly lobby internationally for the right of Kashmiris to self-determination.

“Kashmiris are being converted into a minority,” she said.

MPA Sohail Afridi said August 5 was not only painful for the entire Pakistani nation.

He criticised India for revoking the special status of the occupied Kashmir region and complained that Pakistani authorities arrested PTI founder Imran Khan in “illegal cases” the same day.

The lawmaker said India defied all UN resolutions on Kashmir, and followed the ideology of Hindu nationalist paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

He said Kashmiris, including children, women and the elderly, were killed by occupation forces.

“It is the responsibility of Muslim Ummah to raise voice for oppressed Muslims whether they’re in Palestine or the occupied Kashmir,” he said.

Mr Afridi said the PTI founder was the only prime minister who advocated for Kashmir and Palestinian causes in the UN General Assembly.

During the session, treasury member Sher Ali Afridi tabled a resolution, which read that Muslims in the occupied Kashmir refused to accept the illegal Indian occupation and continued their struggle for freedom.

It read that thousands of Muslims had laid down lives and that the Indian aggression couldn’t block their fight for freedom.

“This house strongly condemns Indian brutalities and requests the federal government on the Youm-i-Istehsal Kashmir to raise voice against Indian aggression at the United Nations, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, human rights organisations, and other international platforms,” it read.

The resolution paid tribute to the Kashmiris who were martyred, detained or oppressed by the Indian occupation forces.

Another resolution on the Kashmir issue, moved by PML-N member Jalal Khan, was unanimously adopted by the house.

The resolution read that innocent people of Kashmir observe a black day across the world against the siege of Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian occupation forces.

It added that the exploitation of Kashmiris would come to an end soon.

Another resolution, tabled by MPA Abdul Salam Afridi, read that Indian oppression of Kashmiris would continue until the international community stepped in and took effective steps for the protection of their rights.

It added that hundreds of Kashmiris fighting for their freedom were imprisoned, while their families were harassed.

The resolution said the house strongly condemned Indian brutalities against Kashmiris, including their leadership, and assured Kashmiris that the province’s people, government and lawmakers would always stand with them in their freedom struggle.

It added that the assembly urged the international community, human rights organisations and United Nations to intervene for checking rights violations in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir and granting Kashmiris their right to self-determination.

The resolution recommended that the provincial government urge the federal government to support the Kashmir freedom struggle at all available forums.

MPAs Arbab Usman, Nazir Hussain, Ajab Gul Wazir and Nilofar Babar also highlighted the issue.

The chair later put off the session until August 8 (Thursday).

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024