ISLAMABAD - President Dr. Arif Alvi on Wednesday said that India’s illegal actions of last year were immoral and contrary to the internation­al laws including Geneva Convention as it scrapped the special status of the illegal­ly-occupied territory to change its demog­raphy. 

The President lamented that a new wave of oppression and atrocities had been un­leashed in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the illegal steps of 5th August 2019. He said the valley had been turned into a prison. He said the Kashmiri people had been facing brutalities over the last many decades.

Addressing the especially-convened ses­sion of the Upper House, Dr. Alvi said the fascist Hindutva policy was visible in Indi­an-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He told the members of the House that Pa­kistan had always waged a peaceful strug­gle for resolution of the outstanding dispute and would continue to do so in future as well. He said the new map released by the government on Tuesday was actually based on reality. He emphatically stated that Paki­stan would always stand by their Kashmi­ri brethren and would not leave them alone in their just struggle for right to self-deter­mination. 

The President said extra judicial killings had increased in the occupied valley while the Kashmiri leadership had illegal been de­tained. He said 13000 Kashmiri youth had also been arrested over the last one year. Other crimes committed against the Kash­miri people included communication black out and stopping medical supplies as well as the access of humanitarian agencies to the territory, he added. He said the military siege had rendered hundreds of thousands Kashmiri youth jobless and inflicted billions of dollars loss to their economy.

The special session of the Senate was summoned on Wednesday to reiterate Paki­stan’s resolve and commitment to the Kash­mir cause and raise voice once again against the continuing Indian atrocities in Indian Il­legally Occupied Kashmir and to urge the international community to pressurise In­dia to stop its inhumane aggression.

The session focused on a single-point agenda on Kashmir. The parliamentary leaders took part in the debate on Kashmir and a resolution was adopted at the conclu­sion of the debate to express solidarity with Kashmiri people fighting Indian forces. The Senate hall was adorned with flags of Paki­stan as well as Kashmir. Ambassadors of dif­ferent countries were also especially invit­ed to the session.

In connection with the Day, a special booklet was prepared by the Senate which contained information about the role Sen­ate of Pakistan has played over the years for the Kashmir cause including the conference held last year, resolutions passed among other steps. This booklet will be sent to 56,000 parliamentarians around the world and international human rights organisa­tions.

Taking part in the discussion, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan would continue to support right to self-determination of Kashmiri people. He was of the view that Kashmir dispute had now been internationalized due to the gov­ernment’s efforts as well as the follies of the Modi government. He said the dispute was echoing around the world. The Foreign Min­ister said that Kashmiris would get inde­pendence from Indian clutches and become part of Pakistan. He hoped that Sir Creek and Siachen would also be part of Pakistan.

Condemning the Indian illegal actions, the Minister said the entire nation had ex­pressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people by organizing rallies in different towns and cities across the country. He said Pakistan and Kashmiri people had totally rejected the Indian illegal steps of 5th August last year. He said the entire political leadership was united on the issue of Kashmir. He lament­ed that the military siege of last one year in Indian-Illegally Occupied Kashmir has only usurped the fundamental rights of Kashmi­ri people and multiplied their woes. He also condemned the Indian plans to build Ram temple at the site of razed Babri Masjid. He said the religious scholars of India and Pa­kistan as well as the entire Ummah should condemn this inappropriate step.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Sherry Rehman, in her remarks, narrat­ed the atrocities being faced by the Kash­miri people at the hands of Indian troops. She said last one year had been the most difficult for the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir due to the military siege and also COVID-19. She ad­vocated for the Kashmiri people to be giv­en their due right to self-determination. She also denounced the Indian tactics to change the demographic composition of Indian Il­legally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. She appealed to the West to fulfil its obligations for protection of human rights in the illegal­ly occupied territory.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lead­er Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri regret­ted the international community’s silence on Kashmir dispute. He was of the view that Indian occupation forces have merciless­ly been massacring innocent and armless Kashmiris over the last seven decades.

Pakistan Peoples’ Party leader and for­mer Chairman Senate, Farooq H Naek main­tained that India has never respected the UN Security Council resolutions on Kash­mir. He said India’s 5th August steps in the disputed territory were contrary to the in­ternational laws.