On Kashmir Solidarity Day, Pakistani leadership reaffirms commitment to Kashmiris’ cause
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Muzaffarabad on Thursday to address a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly as Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Upon his arrival, the prime minister was received by AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and senior officials. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf, and Adviser on Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah.
In Islamabad, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam led a rally from China Chowk to D-Chowk to mark the occasion. A separate ceremony was held at Kohala Bridge, where participants formed a human chain to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir. The event included flag hoisting, the national anthem and participation from officials, civil society members and citizens.
In his message on the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people and reiterated their inalienable right to self-determination in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The president said Pakistanis across the world stand united with Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle. He recalled that Kashmir Solidarity Day was first observed 36 years ago following the 1989 Kashmiri uprising and said the movement for rights and justice continues.
President Zardari urged the international community to press India to halt what he described as human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir. He said measures taken to consolidate control — including legislative changes, suppression of media freedoms, detention of political leaders and attempts to alter the region’s demographic structure — were deeply concerning.
He further highlighted reports pointing to arbitrary detentions, collective punishment, house demolitions and restrictions on digital freedoms, including the blocking of social media accounts, which he said were aimed at concealing realities on the ground.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be resolved in accordance with UNSC resolutions. He called on the international community to play an effective role in ensuring the Kashmiri people are granted their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision.
The prime minister also announced an increase in the monthly subsistence allowance for Kashmiri refugees to Rs5,000. He said a pilot project for the construction of 750 housing units at a cost of Rs3 billion was underway, with land provided by the AJK government for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir.
He stressed that the complete rehabilitation of Kashmiri refugees was a national responsibility and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to stand by Kashmiris until their right to self-determination is realised.
Armed forces reaffirm solidarity
On behalf of the armed forces, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu reaffirmed their firm support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, the military leadership condemned what they described as serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and attempts to alter the region’s demographic and political structure, in violation of international law.
They stressed that a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people remains essential for lasting peace in South Asia. They urged the international community to take meaningful action to alleviate the suffering of the Kashmiri people.
Dar highlights rights violations
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a separate statement, said the people of Kashmir continue to be denied fundamental rights but remain steadfast in their struggle.
He noted that the core of the dispute lies in the failure to implement UNSC resolutions guaranteeing a plebiscite. He said continued defiance undermines the UN Charter, international law and humanitarian conventions.
Dar said the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir had evolved into a sustained system of repression, citing measures taken since August 2019 to alter the region’s demographic composition. He also highlighted alleged discrimination, profiling of religious institutions, and restrictions on civil liberties.
He urged the international community to take decisive steps to address the worsening situation, ensure accountability and facilitate the implementation of UN resolutions.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, in his message, said the Kashmir issue remains one of the unresolved consequences of partition and emphasised that lasting peace in South Asia is impossible without granting Kashmiris their internationally recognised right to self-determination.
