Anger mounts against G20 Summit in held Kashmir
A member of India's military force stands guard at the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, India March 2, 2023. PhOTO: REUTERS
The double standards exhibited by Western governments have emerged as a significant impediment to achieving global peace.
Speakers expressed anger during a protest held in front of the Karachi Press Club, denouncing the G20 conference hosted by India in Occupied Kashmir.
The protest was organised by the Palestine Foundation Pakistan (PLF) and the Human Rights Council of Pakistan. The demonstration saw participants voicing their anger and demanding the right to self-determination.
The protest was led by prominent figures from the PLF, including Asadullah Bhutto of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bashir Sadozai, Dr Sabir Abu Maryam, and Jamshed Hussain. Speakers at the protest highlighted that the entire world recognises the occupied Kashmir as a disputed territory. Nevertheless, the decision to hold the conference in this disputed territory demonstrates India's obstinacy, violating international laws and severely undermining the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination.
They emphasised that the international community's involvement in Occupied Kashmir and the disputed region constitutes a grave injustice against the Kashmiri people's aspirations for self-determination.
They further criticised the double standards exhibited by global institutions, casting doubts on the prospects for peace worldwide.
The protestors called for a boycott of the conference by G20 member countries, urging them to refrain from participating in an event held in the occupied territory of Kashmir.
Strongly condemning India's state terrorism in Kashmir, the speakers assured the Kashmiri people of Pakistan's unwavering support. They vowed to prevent India from using the conference as a means to solidify its hold on the region.
The speakers also demanded that the Pakistani government adopt an effective foreign policy regarding the Kashmir issue. They said that unwavering stubbornness, state oppression, and terrorism by India have resulted in the misery of the Kashmiri people for the past 75 years.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2023.