Muzaffarabad: (Parliament Times) Kashmiris living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and the world over observed right to self-determination day on Thursday with renewed pledge to continue their struggle till the achievement of their legitimate right to self-determination.
Rallies, public meetings, processions and seminars were held to commemorate UN Security Council resolution of January 5, 1949 which promised a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir after India took the issue to the world body following a popular public movement against its invasion and occupation of the territory.
The day dawned with special prayers for liberation of Occupied Kashmir from illegal Indian occupation and prosperity and development of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. In AJK capital, a rally was taken out from Burhan Muzaffar Wani Chowk by Pasban Hurriyat, which marched up to the office UN Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). However the participants of were prevented to reach the UNMGIP office to deliver a memorandum addressed to UN Secretary General.
Addressing the participants of the protest demonstration, the speakers including Chairman Passban-e- Hurriyat Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, Chief of International Forum for Justice, Mushtaqul Islam, President Central Bar Muzaffarabad, Raja Aftab Ahmed Advocate, Jamaat Islami azad Kashmir representative, Syed Salim Hussain Shah, PPP leader Shoukat Javed Mir, Kashmir Refugees representative Chaudhry Mushtaq, Raja Aqib Safeer, Usman Ali Awan and others  condemned United Nations and India for their failure to implement the UN Security Council resolutions for peaceful settlement of Kashmir issue.
They called upon the international community to play its obligations in this regard. The speakers added that India itself took the issue to the UN and made a commitment to the Kashmiris making international community its witness. It’s the moral obligation of the world community to get that commitment honoured, they said. A number of resolutions were also adopted calling upon the world body to take steps for implementation of its resolution of January 5, 1949.
It was made clear in the resolutions that Jammu and Kashmir was never and could never be an integral part of India as being propounded by the latter in a vain attempt to evade the UN-sponsored plebiscite. The human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and the recent unprecedented use of force including the use of pellet guns against the peaceful protesters in Occupied Kashmir have exposed India’s real face before the world and it’s high time the UN and the world community should exerted pressure on New Delhi to stop its state terrorism and let the Kashmiris exercise their right to self-determination.
