The Embassy of Pakistan in France hosted a significant event on Wednesday to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, drawing together a diverse group of attendees, including members of the Pakistani diaspora, overseas Kashmiris, scholars, and journalists. The gathering served as a platform to express unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s decades-long struggle for self-determination and to reaffirm Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to their cause. The event underscored the importance of international attention to the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the need for global intervention to address ongoing human rights violations.
Speakers at the event urged the international community, human rights organizations, and global media to shed light on the worsening conditions in IIOJK and hold India accountable for its continued suppression of fundamental rights in the region. They highlighted reports of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on freedom of speech, all of which have intensified since India’s unilateral revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019. The speakers emphasized that India’s actions in IIOJK, including demographic changes aimed at altering the region’s identity, are in clear violation of international law and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reaffirmed Pakistan’s unflinching support for the Kashmiri people and categorically rejected India’s attempts to misrepresent their freedom movement. She stressed that the struggle of the Kashmiri people is legitimate, peaceful, and deeply rooted in the principles of self-determination enshrined in UNSC resolutions. The Ambassador reiterated Pakistan’s stance that lasting peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. She called upon India to immediately reverse all illegal and unilateral measures imposed after August 5, 2019, cease its demographic engineering in IIOJK, and put an end to the arbitrary detention of Kashmiri political leaders, journalists, and human rights defenders. She also urged the full implementation of UNSC resolutions, which recognize the Kashmiri people’s right to determine their own future through a free and impartial plebiscite.
The event also served as a moment to honor the resilience and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people who have endured decades of oppression while continuing their peaceful struggle for self-determination. Participants paid tribute to the Kashmiri martyrs who lost their lives resisting Indian occupation and pledged to continue advocating for their cause on international platforms. Many attendees shared personal accounts of hardships faced by Kashmiris under occupation, drawing attention to the psychological, social, and economic toll of the ongoing conflict.
Ambassador Baloch commended the Pakistani and Kashmiri community in France for their steadfast dedication to the Kashmir cause, recognizing their consistent efforts in raising awareness and countering misinformation about the issue. She reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to supporting and amplifying their voices on diplomatic fronts, stressing that Pakistan would continue to advocate for the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people at every international forum. She urged the diaspora to remain united in their efforts, engage with policymakers and human rights organizations, and actively participate in initiatives aimed at highlighting the plight of Kashmiris.
The event concluded with a collective pledge to continue supporting Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination, along with calls for greater global solidarity with the Kashmiri people. Attendees expressed their resolve to keep the issue at the forefront of international discussions and to push for justice and accountability for the human rights violations taking place in IIOJK. The Embassy of Pakistan in France reaffirmed its role in advocating for the Kashmiri cause and vowed to intensify diplomatic efforts to seek a peaceful resolution in line with international law and UNSC resolutions.
