ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called on the international community to urge New Delhi to stop “human rights crimes” in Indian-administered Kashmir, reiterating that demanding a swift resolution to the disputed territory’s issue remains a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) released Sharif’s statement on the occasion of “Youm-e-Istehsal,” or Day of Exploitation, observed annually in Pakistan on August 5 against the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019. Pakistan has been marking the day since August 5, 2020.
The Himalayan territory has been disputed by nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan since they both secured independence in 1947 from British colonial rule. The two countries have fought two of their three wars over the region, and both claim it in full but rule it in part. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination, jailing its political activists and journalists. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.
