ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In their separate messages on the observance of Jammu and Kashmir Black Day, they stressed that lasting peace and stability in South Asia remained closely linked to 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.
Both leaders paid tribute to the sacrifices of generations of Kashmiris and called for sustained international attention to their fundamental rights and legitimate demand for self-determination.
President Zardari urged 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 resolution of the dispute.
He reiterated that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people and raise their voice at every appropriate international forum.
“We will continue to raise their voice at every appropriate international forum and to advocate the realisation of their legitimate aspirations,” the president said.
Describing Black Day as more than an occasion for remembrance, President Zardari said it also provided an opportunity to renew the commitment to a peaceful and just settlement of the dispute.
He recalled that on October 27, 1947, Indian forces landed in Srinagar, marking the beginning of what he described as a prolonged and tragic chapter in Jammu and Kashmir’s history.
The president said the people of IIOJK had endured decades of conflict, restrictions, violence and denial of fundamental rights. He expressed concern over restrictions on fundamental freedoms, heightened militarisation, arrests and reports of human rights violations, calling for sustained international attention to the situation.
He further observed that conditions had deteriorated since August 5, 2019, when India took unilateral measures to alter the constitutional and legal status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Paying tribute to the countless sacrifices of Kashmiri men, women and children, President Zardari expressed solidarity with their pursuit of justice, peace, dignity and self-determination. He said their resilience and determination remained a testament to the enduring strength of their cause.
He expressed hope that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would eventually be able to determine their own future in accordance with their aspirations and that the dispute would move towards a just and peaceful resolution.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, said Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir remained clear, consistent and principled. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri people and advocating their legitimate rights at national and international forums.
“On this Jammu & Kashmir Black Day, the Government and people of Pakistan reaffirm their unwavering solidarity with the people of IIOJK,” the prime minister said, according to a press release issued by the PM Office Media Wing.
The prime minister said that 79 years after Indian forces landed in Srinagar, the people of Jammu and Kashmir continued to be denied their inalienable right to self-determination, as affirmed in relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
He said successive generations of Kashmiris had endured immense hardship, suffering and repression, while their courage and determination to secure fundamental rights remained undiminished.
PM Shehbaz also expressed concern over efforts to suppress legitimate political expression and silence voices representing Kashmiri aspirations. He highlighted the prolonged incarceration of Kashmiri political leaders, activists and human rights defenders, stressing the need for due process, respect for basic liberties and greater international attention.
He said the unilateral measures taken since August 5, 2019, accompanied by sweeping restrictions on fundamental freedoms, had affected the political, legal and demographic character of the territory. Pakistan, he added, had consistently called for these developments to be addressed in accordance with international law and applicable UN Security Council resolutions.
The prime minister paid tribute to Kashmiris who had sacrificed their lives and endured suffering in pursuit of their rights, saying their aspirations could not be extinguished through coercion or repression.
He prayed for a future of lasting peace, dignity and security for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including the fulfilment of their right to self-determination.
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