ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering and principled support for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people as the country observed Kashmir Solidarity Day.
In his message on the occasion, the prime minister said that every year on February 5, the people and government of Pakistan stand united in solidarity with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle for the realization of their internationally recognized right to self-determination.
The prime minister noted that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved issues on the agenda of the United Nations, with multiple UN Security Council resolutions clearly affirming the disputed status of the territory and calling for its final settlement through a free and impartial plebiscite in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people.
He said that for nearly eight decades, Kashmiris have been denied this fundamental right due to what he described as India’s intransigence, adding that the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continues to deteriorate amid heavy militarization and widespread human rights violations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said arbitrary political detentions, suppression of political activity, and severe restrictions on media freedoms had become routine tools to silence dissent in IIOJK. He further recalled India’s unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, terming them a blatant violation of the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions, and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
“These measures, aimed at altering the demographic, legal, and administrative status of Jammu and Kashmir, cannot absolve India of its international obligations, nor can they diminish the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people,” the prime minister said.
He added that India’s actions in IIOJK were driven by a Hindutva ideology, which he said promotes discrimination, curtails religious freedoms, and criminalizes dissent. The prime minister also expressed concern over the profiling of mosques and their management committees in IIOJK, calling it a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and further evidence of systematic discrimination against Muslims.
Despite decades of repression, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, the Kashmiri people continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and courage. “Pakistan salutes the heroic struggle and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, who refuse to surrender their legitimate aspirations,” he said.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s diplomatic stance, the prime minister said he has consistently advocated the Kashmir cause at all international forums, including the United Nations General Assembly.
On Kashmir Solidarity Day, he reassured the Kashmiri people that Pakistan would continue to extend its full moral, diplomatic, and political support to their freedom struggle until they achieve their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.
“Inshallah, the dawn of freedom will soon replace the darkness of oppression, and the people of Jammu and Kashmir will live a future free from fear and occupation,” the prime minister concluded.
