President Zardari Summons Separate National Assembly and Senate Sessions on October 17

President Zardari Condemns IIOJK Elections as Invalid Amid Kashmiri Struggle

By Web Editor Last updated Sep 19, 2024

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari firmly rejected the recent elections for the Legislative Assembly of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), stating that these polls cannot replace the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.

During a meeting with a delegation of IIOJK migrants who have been living in Pakistan since 1989, led by Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, President Zardari emphasized that such elections are unacceptable to the Kashmiri people. He called on the international community to hold the Modi government accountable for ongoing human rights violations in the occupied territory.

He stressed the importance of taking concrete steps toward conducting a plebiscite, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Welcoming the delegation, the president condemned the Legislative Assembly elections in IIOJK, describing them as part of India’s broader strategy to reinforce its illegal occupation of the region. He noted that these actions cannot legitimize India’s occupation or suppress the Kashmiri people’s struggle for freedom.

Zardari pointed out that India is attempting to alter the demographic balance in IIOJK, aiming to marginalize Kashmiri Muslims and render them a disempowered community in their own land. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri people’s sacrifices and standing in solidarity with them until their right to self-determination is realized.

The delegation informed the president about the atrocities being perpetrated by the Modi regime in IIOJK, highlighting that the entire Kashmiri leadership has been imprisoned to silence the voices of the Kashmiri people. They also discussed the challenges faced by refugees in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

U.S. President Affirms 75-Year Relationship with Pakistan

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Meets Maulana Fazlur Rehman to Discuss Constitutional Amendments

President Zardari,PM Shehbaz, Urges Strengthening Democracy and Political Unity

The president underscored that a protest should be lodged over the illegal steps and atrocities being committed by the Indian occupation forces in the IIOJK.

He said that Pakistan was committed to the socio-economic uplift of refugees and resolving their issues.

He assured the delegation that the AJK Government would be asked to enhance subsistence allowance as well as provide other relief measures to the Kashmiri refugees.

He further assured that Pakistan’s social safety net would be extended to include 8,000 migrant families under the Benazir Income Support Programme.

The delegation expressed their gratitude to the president for Pakistan’s ongoing moral, political, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people. They also praised the efforts of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, for his strong advocacy of the IIOJK cause during his time as Foreign Minister of Pakistan.