ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah observed Kashmir Solidarity Day on Friday, said the official handout issued by the country’s diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia. 

The embassy held a virtual conference to show solidarity with the people of Kashmir in which the participants highlighted various aspects of the protracted dispute.

The event was attended by a large number of Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora and paid tribute to the sacrifices of Kashmiris struggling for their right to self-determination. 

The speakers urged the international community to play its role to put an end to “state repression” in Indian-administered Kashmir, announced the official statement.

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Raja Ali Ejaz, emphasized that Kashmir was an internationally recognized disputed territory, adding this was also established by a number of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

He added that the people of Indian-administered Kashmir were under a prolonged military siege since August 5, 2019, when the administration in New Delhi tried to unilaterally annex the Muslim-majority state with the rest of the Indian union. 

Meanwhile, the event in Jeddah was attended by prominent members of the Pakistani and Kashmiri community as well as Arab journalists.  

The participants of the gathering noted that Kashmir was the oldest dispute on the UN agenda that still remained unresolved. 

They also emphasized there could be no lasting peace in South Asia without a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. 

They pointed out that Pakistan would not compromise on its principled stance on Kashmir and continue to extend all moral, political, and diplomatic support to its people.