Kashmiris can choose independence if they opt for Pakistan in plebiscite — PM Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Friday he would give the people of the disputed Kashmir valley the “right” to choose independence if they voted in favor of becoming a part of Pakistan in a future plebiscite.
Khan made the statement while addressing a Kashmir Solidarity Day rally in the Kotli district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed valley administered by Pakistan. The day is commemorated by Pakistan each year on February 5.
Pakistan and India both claim disputed Kashmir in full but rule it in part. UN peacekeepers have been deployed since 1949 to observe a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
The UN Security Council adopted several resolutions in 1948 and in the 1950s on the dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, including one which says a plebiscite should be held to determine the future of mostly Muslim Kashmir.
The prime minister said he wanted to remind the United Nations it had not fulfilled its promise to the people of Kashmir who were assured their right to self-determination under its resolutions.
"According to the United Nations Security Council resolutions, the people of Kashmir had to get the right to determine their own future," he told the rally, referring to a plebiscite. "Today, I want to remind the world that it has not fulfilled that promise. This is despite the fact that the same United Nations helped the Christian population of East Timor get their independence from Indonesia through a referendum."
"Let me say this today that Inshallah when the people of Kashmir get their right … when you will decide on your future and when the people of Kashmir will Inshallah decide in favour of Pakistan, after that Pakistan will give the people of Kashmir the right to decide if they want to be independent or stay a part of Pakistan. That will be your right!”
Khan said his administration had tried to normalize relations with India after winning general elections in 2018 but the New Delhi government was never interested in peace and wanted to escalate hostilities in the region for domestic political point scoring and to secure election victories.
"I also want to tell the people of [Indian] occupied Kashmir that Pakistan stands in solidarity with them," Khan said. "In fact, the whole Muslim world stands with them. Even if some Muslim governments are not supporting them for some reason, I can assure the people of Kashmir that Muslim populations of these states still stand with them as well."
Later in the day, the foreign office of Pakistan issued a statement, saying there was no change in Pakistan’s principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute that remained anchored in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
“The Prime Minister repeatedly spoke about the UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and underscored the need for implementation of those resolutions,” the statement added. “Pakistan remains firmly committed to the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices as enshrined in the relevant UNSC resolutions.”

Kashmiris can choose independence if they opt for Pakistan in plebiscite — PM Khan