Senate unanimously passes resolution on Kashmir ahead of Black Day
The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with the people of Indian-administered Kashmir. It was moved by Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam ahead of Kashmir Black Day on October 27.
- Senate passed the Kashmir resolution unanimously on Monday, October 26
- Amir Muqam moved it; it backs Kashmiris' right to decide their future
- It asks the UN to implement its Kashmir resolutions and the government to continue diplomatic and moral support
The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with the people of what it calls Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The move came ahead of Kashmir Black Day, observed on October 27, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.
The session was chaired by presiding officer Senator Shahadat Awan. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam moved the resolution in the House, according to Express News and APP.
According to Express News, the text states that India took control of Kashmir on October 27 and condemns what it describes as forced occupation. It declares the Indian occupation illegal.
The resolution also supports the right of the Kashmiri people to choose their future. It calls on the United Nations to ensure its resolutions on Kashmir are implemented, and asks the Pakistani government to continue its diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris.
The House also passed bills on Iqra Global University, preventing plastic covers on books, the Special Technology Zones Authority and an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code. Bills on promoting Iqbaliyat and freeing public administration from the colonial system were sent to the relevant standing committees.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry opposed the Passports Amendment Bill, after which the House rejected it. The Immigration Amendment Bill and the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill were deferred. A criminal law bill was deferred after a debate between Talal Chaudhry and Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri.
Zehri's Islamabad Consumer Protection Amendment Bill was passed with ten votes in favour and four against, despite government opposition. Separately, Senator Ali Zafar raised objections to new constituency delimitations by the Election Commission, and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said he would seek more information from the commission. Senator Mushal Yousafzai spoke about the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The session was adjourned until 11:30am the next day.
Why it matters
The resolution restates Pakistan's official position on Kashmir, a dispute that shapes the country's security and foreign policy debates.
