Pakistan will always be voice of Kashmiris at UN: outgoing envoy.

Pakistan told the International community Wednesday that it would stand by the people of Jammu and Kashmir until they exercise their right to self-determination through a UN-supervised plebiscit to achieve freedom from the Indian occupation.

"The people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir find courage in their conviction that, the dark night of occupation, however long, will give way to the dawn of freedom and the triumph of justice," Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said in a speech to the General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

"Until then, they will find Pakistan standing resolutely with them," the Pakistani envoy said while participating in a debate on right to self-determination.

"We would like to reaffirm that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will remain on the UN agenda and Pakistan will continue to be the voice of the Kashmiris at the UN until the people of occupied Kashmir are allowed to exercise their will," she declared in her last speech at the UN.

The Pakistani envoy said that Kashmiris have suffered under seven decades of occupation waiting for their inalienable right to self-determination as promised by 11 Security Council resolutions.

India's occupation of Kashmir in 1947 was based on an "utterly false pretext," and with its illegal annexation of the disputed state on August 5, the "tragedy of Kashmir has come full circle," Ambassador Lodhi said.

She said the right to self-determination is enshrined in the United Nations Charter's opening words and is the "fountainhead" of all other rights. Yet, there are those who are denied this fundamental right.

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