- PM Shehbaz urges global community to ensure Kashmiri rights.
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People across Pakistan are observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on Thursday, reaffirming unwavering support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in their just cause to achieve the right to self-determination as enshrined in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of IIOJK, with a renewed commitment to their just struggle against Indian occupation.
The day is marked by a public holiday on February 5, with solidarity walks taking place across the country and in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
In his message, President Asif Ali Zardari said the people of Pakistan stand united with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their ongoing struggle.
The president recalled that the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day was initiated 36 years ago by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto following the historic Kashmiri uprising of 1989, a movement that continues to this day.
He paid tribute to what he described as the indomitable spirit and resilience of the Kashmiri people, stating that for nearly eight decades they have remained steadfast in the face of illegal Indian occupation and have rendered immense sacrifices for their fundamental rights and freedoms.
President Zardari expressed deep concern over the prevailing situation, saying the unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, have further aggravated the plight of the Kashmiri people.
He said India had intensified efforts to consolidate its control through administrative and legislative measures, including curbing media freedoms, incarcerating Kashmiri leadership, and attempting to alter the demographic composition of the territory.
He added that suppression of digital freedoms, including the blocking of thousands of social media accounts, reflected attempts to conceal realities on the ground.
Referring to the recent profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in IIOJK, he termed the actions deliberate intimidation aimed at restricting the religious freedom of the Muslim majority population, calling them part of a broader pattern of religious persecution.
The president warned that military escalation initiated by India in May 2025 underscored the fragility of peace in South Asia, stressing that lasting regional stability is impossible without a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kashmiri people until they determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he described as grave violations of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and termed the illegal and unilateral Indian actions of August 5, 2019, a blatant violation of international law.
The prime minister urged the international community to play an effective role in ensuring the inalienable right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.
‘Armed forces reaffirm support for IIOJK’
Separately, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, on behalf of the Pakistan Armed Forces, reaffirmed unwavering support for the people of IIOJK in their struggle for self-determination.
The armed forces strongly condemned what they described as grave violations of human rights in IIOJK, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and attempts to alter the demographic and political landscape of the region in disregard of international law.
They reiterated that a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, remains essential for lasting peace and stability in South Asia.
The armed forces also called on the international community to take concrete and meaningful action to alleviate the suffering of the Kashmiri people.
Reaffirming their commitment, the armed forces said they remain steadfast in safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and unwavering in their solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their quest for freedom and dignity.
‘Resolving Kashmir issue a guarantee of lasting peace’
A special ceremony was held in the city of Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, on Kashmir Solidarity Day, organised by the Deputy Commissioner of Mirpur. Various social and government figures attended the event and expressed solidarity on the Kashmir issue.
Chairman of the Youth Programme Rana Mashhood was the chief guest at the ceremony, while Raja Wasim Aslam, Coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme from the United Kingdom, also attended as a special guest.
Addressing the gathering, Mashhood said that resolving the Kashmir issue was a guarantee of lasting peace in the subcontinent. He stated that until the issue is resolved, tensions and the clouds of war would continue to loom between the two nuclear-armed countries.
At the conclusion of the event, participants reaffirmed their support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and stressed the need for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.
