Pakistan Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi said that Pakistan will continue to extend diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmir people for their UN-recognized right to self determination.

She was speaking at a meeting held at Pakistan House in New York to mark the 71st anniversary of Indian invasion and occupation of Kashmir, known as “Black Day.”

She said every day of Indian occupation is a black day for the people of the occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan ambassador said it is possible to physically and illegally occupy territory but not possible to occupy hearts and minds of the Kashmiri people.

She said today we pay tribute to the brave people of Kashmir who have resisted occupation for over 70 years and continue to do so. We pay tribute to all the martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice in their freedom struggle.

Maleeha Lodhi also referred to the June 14 report of the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, which she said documented in detail the systematic violations of fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, and called for an end to these.

She said, the Indian occupation continues to commit, with impunity, gross violations of the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people, especially referring to the murder of eminent journalist Shujjat Bukhari, and the arrest of another journalist Atif Sultan.

The Pakistan envoy to the United Nations said she raised the Kashmir issue five times in the past 10 days and will do so again and again.

Other speakers on the occasion praised the services of Ambassador Lodhi and the Pakistan mission to the cause of Kashmir.