Leaders urge UN to honor January 5 resolution, announce participation in referendum rally in Bagh
Bagh: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference organized an important press conference at the Bagh Press Club in connection with Right to Self-Determination Day, observed on January 5. The event was hosted by President Press Club Bagh, Sir Akmal Arif, and was attended by a large number of journalists from the district, reflecting strong media interest in the Kashmir issue at both national and international levels.
Addressing the press conference, Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, said that the United Nations resolution of January 5, 1949, is a clear and unambiguous guarantee of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He regretted that despite the passage of 78 years, India continues to defy this solemn international commitment. He emphasized that the people of Kashmir will continue their struggle for freedom under all circumstances and will never bow before oppression, pressure, or deception. He reiterated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have the inalienable right to decide their future through a free and impartial plebiscite.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Advocate Parvez Ahmed Shah, said that despite severe Indian state repression, systematic human rights violations, and illegal measures, the morale of the Kashmiri people remains high. He called upon the international community to move beyond mere statements and fulfill its responsibilities by playing a practical and effective role in resolving the Kashmir dispute in a just manner.
Former Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mahmood Ahmed Saghar, stated that India cannot eliminate the disputed status of Kashmir through force or military oppression. He made it clear that the right to self-determination is an irrevocable right of the Kashmiri people and cannot be suppressed or taken away under any circumstances.
Leaders from various political and religious parties also addressed the press conference, including Pakistan Peoples Party leader Ijaz Baig, Jamaat-e-Islami representative Khalid Khokhar, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Sardar Tahir Akbar, and renowned religious scholar Maulana Ataullah Shah. They reaffirmed their full support for the Kashmiri people’s freedom struggle and pledged that political, religious, and social forces would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for self-determination.
The speakers emphasized that the core objective of observing January 5 as Right to Self-Determination Day is to awaken the conscience of the international community and remind the United Nations of its own adopted resolutions on Kashmir. They demanded that the Kashmiri people be given the right to determine their future in accordance with their aspirations and free will.
The speakers also announced that they would personally participate in the referendum rally scheduled from Haidri Chowk to the Press Club on January 5. They appealed to the people of Bagh to ensure maximum participation in the rally to convey a strong and effective message to the world.
In his concluding remarks, President Press Club Bagh, Akmal Arif, thanked the guest speakers and journalists. He reaffirmed the commitment of Press Club Bagh to continue highlighting truth, justice, and the voice of oppressed people at all forums.
