President Asif Ali Zardari has categorically rejected the elections for the Legislative Assembly of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), asserting that these polls are no substitute for Kashmiris’ right to selfdetermination.

He was talking to a delegation of migrants from IIOJK, residing in Pakistan since 1989, led by Uzair Ahmed Ghazali here in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The President emphasised that such elections are unacceptable to the people of Kashmir and called upon the international community to hold the Modi government accountable for ongoing human rights violations in IIOJK.

He urged the need to take concrete steps toward conducting a plebiscite in line with relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

Welcoming the delegation, the President condemned the Legislative Assembly elections in IIOJK, terming them as part of India’s broader strategy to consolidate its illegal occupation of the region. He highlighted that such measures could neither legitimize India’s occupation nor suppress the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people.

He said India is trying to alter the demographic structure of IIOJK by turning the Kashmiri Muslims into a minority and transforming them into a disempowered community in their own land.

Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan greatly values the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people for their rights and will continue to stand in solidarity with them.

He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to provide moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people till the realization of their right to selfdetermination.

The delegation apprised the President about the atrocities being committed by the Modi regime in IIOJK. It was highlighted that the entire Kashmiri leadership has been imprisoned to suppress the voice of the Kashmiri people.

The delegation also apprised the President about the issues of the refugees in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The President underscored that a protest should be lodged over the illegal steps and atrocities being committed by the Indian Occupation Forces in IIOJK.

He said Pakistan is committed to the socioeconomic uplift of refugees and resolving their issues. He assured the delegation that the Government of AJK would be asked to enhance subsistence allowance as well as provide other relief measures to Kashmiri refugees.

He assured that Pakistan’s social safety net would be extended to include 8000 migrant families through the Benazir Income Support Programme. The delegation thanked the President for Pakistan’s continued moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people.

The delegation also commended the efforts and role of the Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who strongly advocated the cause of the people of IIOJK at various fora during his tenure as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.