ISLAMABAD (Rustam Ali) – On the occasion of Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the martyrs of Kashmir and expressed solidarity with those standing firm in the struggle for freedom.
President Zardari praised the courage, determination, and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people who have stood against Indian occupation for decades and continue their fight for freedom. He said that India has turned illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir into a military prison where extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, political imprisonments, demographic changes, and systematic efforts to erase Muslim identity are rampant.
He appealed to the international community and human rights organizations to take urgent notice of India’s ongoing state terrorism and grave human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and to resolve the issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. He reiterated that Pakistan will continue to provide political, moral, and diplomatic support to its Kashmiri brothers until they are granted their right to self-determination as promised by the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his statement said that the people of Kashmir have been sacrificing their lives in pursuit of their legitimate right to self-determination. He reaffirmed that the Government of Pakistan stands in full solidarity with the Muslims of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and will continue its political, diplomatic, and moral support.
The Prime Minister saluted the bravery and resolve of all Kashmiri martyrs who laid down their lives during the decades-long Indian occupation. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to resolving the Kashmir dispute under UN resolutions and reaffirmed its support for the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also paid homage to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs who faced bullets with pride in respect for the call to prayer (Azaan). He stated that the guns of the Dogra regime and the violence of the Indian state are two faces of the same oppression. Crushing belief, identity, opinion, and resistance in occupied Kashmir with state power is an insult to human dignity.
He likened the actions of the Modi government to those of the oppressive Dogra regime, calling India’s state policy a campaign of genocide against Kashmiri youth, extrajudicial killings, and silencing of journalists — a disgrace to humanity. Mohsin Naqvi said that Trump’s offer to mediate had opened a door to peace, but India shut it, proving its war-minded attitude. He declared that Kashmir Martyrs’ Day is a day of renewal of commitment, and Pakistan stands as the guardian, representative, and guarantor of Kashmiris’ right to freedom.
