ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Engr Amir Muqam, has called on the international community and the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) to actively engage in resolving the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
Speaking at a press conference, Muqam emphasized that peace and development in the region hinge on a solution through United Nations resolutions.
Muqam highlighted the ongoing efforts of the current government to bring global attention to the Kashmir issue effectively. He detailed the severe impacts since August 5, 2019, noting that approximately 900 people have been killed and over 2,500 have been injured by Indian forces, which also arrested numerous Kashmiri widows.
Criticizing India’s stance on democracy while violating human rights and suppressing the self-determination rights of Kashmiris, Muqam pointed out the stark contradictions in its policies.
Furthermore, the minister invited all parliamentary parties to join a protest march from Radio Pakistan to D Chowk in Islamabad on Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, August 5. This date marks five years since the Modi government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The annual observance aims to protest against this illegal action and to send a unified message from Pakistan’s government and its people against the Indian government’s policies.
Amir Muqam also described the severe measures India has implemented in the region, including demographic changes and political engineering, which threaten to disenfranchise the Kashmiri population. He reported increased suppression, including efforts to silence the media, continued imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders, and the Indian authorities seeking the death penalty for prominent leader Yaseen Malik.
Muqam concluded by condemning the routine harassment, arbitrary detentions, and extrajudicial killings faced by Kashmiris, who are deprived of their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and self-determination.
