Pakistan reaffirms support for Kashmiris, call for peaceful settlement of longstanding dispute

• President urges UN, rights groups to address situation in IIOJK.
• PM condemns restrictions imposed since India’s August 2019 move.
• President, PM pay tribute to Kashmiris who sacrificed their lives.
  

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling for a just and peaceful resolution of the longstanding dispute in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

In his message on Kashmir Black Day, observed on October 27, President Zardari called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations and international human rights organisations, to take due cognisance of the human rights situation in IIOJK, support efforts to protect the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people and contribute meaningfully towards a lasting settlement.

He reiterated that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of IIOJK.

“We will continue to raise their voice at every appropriate international forum and to advocate the realisation of their legitimate aspirations,” he said.

President Zardari said Kashmir Black Day was not merely an occasion for remembrance but also an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to a peaceful and just resolution of the dispute.

He emphasised that lasting peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia remained closely linked to resolving the longstanding issue in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Paying tribute to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, the president reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with them in their pursuit of justice, peace, dignity and the realisation of their right to self-determination.

“The day is not far off when the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be able to determine their own future in accordance with their aspirations and the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will move towards a just and peaceful resolution,” he added.

The president recalled October 27, 1947, when Indian forces landed in Srinagar, marking the beginning of what he described as a prolonged and tragic chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the people of IIOJK had endured decades of conflict, restrictions, violence and repression, with generations making immense sacrifices in their pursuit of justice, dignity and freedom.

President Zardari said continuing restrictions on fundamental freedoms, heightened militarisation, arrests and reports of human rights violations remained matters of serious concern and underscored the need for sustained international attention.

He added that the situation had further deteriorated since August 5, 2019, when India unilaterally attempted to alter the constitutional and legal status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lasting peace impossible sans Kashmir issue resolution: PM 

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir remained clear, consistent and principled, stressing that lasting peace and stability in South Asia could not be achieved without a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute.

In his message on Kashmir Black Day, he said the government and people of Pakistan reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the people of IIOJK.

He said Pakistan would continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people and advocate their legitimate rights at national and international forums.

Recalling the events of October 27, 1947, the premier said the landing of Indian forces in Srinagar had marked the beginning of a tragic chapter whose effects continued to be felt across the region.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had since been denied their inalienable right to self-determination, as affirmed in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The prime minister observed that the people of IIOJK had endured immense hardship, suffering and repression, but their courage, resilience and determination to secure their fundamental rights remained undiminished.

He said the sacrifices of successive generations reflected their enduring commitment to freedom, dignity and justice.

PM Shehbaz expressed deep concern over what he described as India’s continued efforts to suppress legitimate political expression and silence voices representing the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He said the prolonged incarceration of Kashmiri political leaders, activists and human rights defenders underscored the need for due process, respect for basic liberties and greater international attention.

The prime minister further said India had taken a series of unilateral measures in IIOJK since August 5, 2019, accompanied by sweeping restrictions on fundamental freedoms. These measures, affecting the political, legal and demographic character of the territory, had drawn serious international attention, he added.

Pakistan had consistently called for these developments to be addressed in accordance with international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

On the occasion, PM Shehbaz paid tribute to the Kashmiri men, women and children who had made immense sacrifices in pursuit of their rights, saying their memory would always be honoured.

He maintained that the aspirations of the Kashmiri people could not be extinguished through coercion or repression and prayed for their future to be marked by lasting peace, dignity, security and the fulfilment of their right to self-determination.