As Pakistan marked Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir on Monday, the country’s top leadership strongly condemned India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), service chiefs, and the armed forces collectively voiced their concerns over the ongoing human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
For over seven decades, Kashmiris have awaited the fulfillment of the United Nations’ commitments, they said, urging the international community to pressure India to cease its violations and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support for the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination as enshrined in UN resolutions. Highlighting the five-year mark of India’s unilateral actions to solidify its occupation, he condemned India’s continuous efforts since August 5, 2019, to alter IIOJK’s demographic and political landscape through unlawful measures such as issuing domicile certificates to outsiders and modifying property laws.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed this stance, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He criticized India’s attempts to present Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of its territory, pointing out that international law and historical facts contradict these claims. The PM also condemned the ongoing suppression of Kashmiri leadership, media, and civilians under draconian laws and arbitrary detentions.
The CJCSC, service chiefs, and the armed forces reaffirmed their solidarity with the people of IIOJK, condemning India’s egregious violations of international law and persistent human rights abuses. They highlighted the need for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people for lasting peace and stability in the region.
President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry termed August 5 as the darkest day in Kashmir’s history, condemning India’s revocation of Article 370 and 35-A as a blatant violation of UNSC resolutions. He emphasized the intensified brutality and state repression faced by Kashmiris since the move.
