By: FT Correspondent :
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has strongly condemned the remarks by the US Ambassador to India, who described Kashmir as an “important part” of India during his visit to Srinagar.
Rathore said the statement was a blatant violation of historical facts, the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and United Nations resolutions. He stressed that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory whose future must be decided through a free and impartial plebiscite reflecting the will of the Kashmiri people.
He said any unilateral declaration by a country or diplomat that occupied Jammu and Kashmir is part of India amounts to denying the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination and distorting the historical and legal status of the region.
The AJK Prime Minister termed the remarks made in Srinagar deeply regrettable and condemnable, saying the international community, particularly major powers, has a responsibility to support the fundamental right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people rather than overlook alleged human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
Rathore said the Kashmiri people have continued their struggle for self-determination for decades despite what he described as Indian occupation, repression and human rights violations.
He reiterated that a lasting settlement of the Kashmir dispute can only be achieved in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The AJK government, he said, would further strengthen its diplomatic and political efforts to highlight the Kashmir issue internationally and amplify the voice of the people of occupied Kashmir.
