ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned and rejected the Indiangovernment’s sinister design to further deprive the people of IndianOccupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) through new domicile law.
In her televised weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson AishaFarooqui said the domicile law was aimed at changing the demographicstructure of occupied Kashmir and undermining the exercise by the Kashmiripeople of their right to self-determination through free and impartialplebiscite in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC)Resolutions.
She said the timing of this illegal Indian action in the midst of COVID-19pandemic was particularly reprehensible and reflected the opportunistic andmorally bankrupt mindset of RSS-BJP combine.
The Spokesperson said voices from around the world continue to condemn theinhuman oppression of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and discriminationagainst minority communities in India.
She said Pakistan welcomed the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)statement issued yesterday, expressing deep concerns over India`sunilateral actions of 5 August 2019 and subsequent measures to alterdemographics of IOJ&K.
To a question, she said Pakistan had rejected all baseless statements fromIndia regarding Gilgit-Baltistan. “Our stance on Jammu & Kashmir disputehas been clear, consistent and in line with the United Nations SecurityCouncil Resolutions. The dispute can only be resolved through implementingthe relevant UNSC Resolutions, calling for the exercise of Kashmiris rightto self-determination through free and impartial plebiscite,” she added.
About Indian concerns over construction of Diamir Bhasha Dam, theSpokesperson said Pakistan rejected the Indian statement and added thatPakistan’s position on the matter was consistent, clear and based onprinciples and precepts of international law. India does not have any locusstandi in the matter and cannot raise objections to the project, she said.
She said Pakistan rejected all baseless Indian assertions and actions aimedat misrepresenting facts. Like the so-called “political maps” issued lastyear by India, she said this move was also legally void, contrary toreality, and in violation of the relevant UNSC Resolutions. Such actionsare testament to India’s irresponsible behavior, she added.
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The Spokesperson said that no illegal and unilateral steps by India couldchange the “disputed” status of Jammu and Kashmir, recognized as such bythe international community including the United Nations.She said Pakistan would urge India not to make baseless assertions and toabstain from misleading the world community through unfounded claims onregions that constitute internationally recognized disputed territories.
To a question about violation of ceasefire line by Indian forces, she said,the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and theWorking Boundary (WB) had continuously been targeting civilian populatedareas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons.
In 2020, she said, the Indian occupation forces had so far committed 1101indiscriminate and unprovoked ceasefire violations, adding that thedeliberate targeting of innocent civilians was particularly deplorable andhad resulted in seven shahadats and 86 injuries.She said these violations by Indian Occupation forces were against allestablished humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.
Aisha Farooqui said Pakistan strongly condemned these egregious violationsof international law and continues to call on India to respect CeasefireUnderstanding (2003), investigate this and other such incidents ofdeliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB.
She said Pakistan also urged the Indian side to allow the United NationsMilitary Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play itsmandated role as per the UNSC Resolutions. By raising tensions along theLoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rightssituation in the IOJ&K, she added.
About repatriation of Pakistani community from various countries of theworld, the Spokesperson said in the past few days, 445 Pakistani citizenswere repatriated from Dubai, 150 from France and other neighboringcountries, including Belgium, Italy and Poland, 105 from Spain, 250 fromCanada, 257 from Iraq, 249 from Sudan, 250 from Jeddah, 237 from Indonesiaand 331 Pakistani prisoners were brought back from Malaysia.
