Pakistan Supports Plebiscite While India Continues Defiance; UN Urged to Fulfil Its Responsibilities
Muzaffarabad: Leaders of the Kashmiri freedom movement have said that a just, durable and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is only possible through the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly those guaranteeing the right to self-determination for the Kashmiri people.
The remarks were made during a joint press conference at the Central Press Club Muzaffarabad by Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, Spokesperson to the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Shaukat Javed Mir, Vice Chairman Pasban-e-Hurriyat Usman Ali Hashim, along with other pro-freedom leaders.
Addressing the media, the leaders said Pakistan has consistently supported the UN-mandated plebiscite for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, whereas India continues to deny, reject and defy international principles, the UN Charter and international law. They urged the United Nations to play its constitutional and moral role in resolving one of the world’s oldest unresolved disputes.
Uzair Ahmed Ghazali said that grave and systematic human rights violations are continuing in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that despite severe repression, the Kashmiri people remain steadfast in their struggle for freedom and the right to self-determination. According to him, during 2025 alone, at least 46 civilians were killed in extrajudicial actions, while more than 4,000 people were arrested. He added that thousands of Kashmiris are already languishing in Indian jails.
He further said that Indian forces have deliberately targeted Kashmiri youth, journalists and the Hurriyat leadership, while the silence of the international community has further aggravated the situation. Referring to UN resolutions, particularly the historic resolution of January 5, 1949, Ghazali said these resolutions clearly guarantee the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people and form the fundamental basis for resolving the Kashmir dispute.
Speaking on the occasion, Shaukat Javed Mir said that under the January 5, 1949 resolution, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were granted the right to a plebiscite. He stressed that a fair, sustainable and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue lies within these UN resolutions, which India continues to ignore in clear violation of the UN Charter and international norms.
Usman Ali Hashim said India’s stance on Kashmir is in direct conflict with international law and human values, and its refusal to implement UN resolutions has become a serious threat to regional peace. He reiterated that Pakistan is a strong supporter of a just solution to the Kashmir issue and the right of self-determination, and continues to stand firmly with the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people. He also paid tribute to the unwavering support of the people of Pakistan, saying Kashmiris are deeply grateful for this continued solidarity.
The speakers announced that a public awareness and outreach campaign for the right to self-determination has been launched under the auspices of Pasban-e-Hurriyat from January 1. They said that announcements in support of the Kashmiri freedom struggle will be made from mosques across the city on January 2, while a torch-bearing rally will be held outside the Central Press Club after Maghrib prayers on January 4 to awaken the conscience of the world.
They further announced that on January 5, observed as the Right to Self-Determination Day, a large rally will be taken out from Burhan Wani Shaheed Chowk to the United Nations Observer Office, where a demand for a plebiscite will be reiterated in the light of the January 5, 1949 resolution.
The leaders appealed to the people of Muzaffarabad, refugees and host communities to participate wholeheartedly in the self-determination rally and demonstrate practical solidarity with the Kashmiri people and their struggle for freedom.
Several young leaders, including Muhammad Aslam Inqalabi, Muhammad Fayaz Khan, Liaquat Ali Rana, Imtiaz Aziz Khan, Syed Khalid Shah, Shahid Naseem and Chaudhry Muhammad Maqbool, were also present at the press conference.
