ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (APP): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Tuesday reaffirmed that Pakistan was committed to peace and peaceful coexistence, preferring dialogue and diplomacy over conflict, but was also remained ready to respond to any aggression.
“Pakistan is committed to dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward… We remain committed to peace and peaceful coexistence, but no one should misconstrue it as weakness, as we will give a robust response to any aggression,” the deputy prime minister said, addressing a rally held in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal (Kashmir Exploitation Day) at D Chowk here.
He recalled that on August 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of its Constitution, to bring Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) under its direct control.
He said that in the name of democracy and development, India took draconian measures, including the imposition of a months-long lockdown, restrictions on public movement, and the suspension of fundamental rights. Political leaders were imprisoned, and access to communication and freedom of expression was curtailed, he added.
He said that India continued to strengthen its control over IIOJK and even the Indian Supreme Court upheld these unilateral actions, disregarding the fact that it was an internationally recognized disputed territory, whose fate could not be decided through domestic laws.
He said India altered demographic delineations, issued domiciles to non-Kashmiris, and allowed them to purchase property in IIOJK, as an attempt to transform it into a state like any other in India. These actions appear designed to establish a government aligned with New Delhi’s policies, Dar observed.
Rejecting Indian plans of designating Kashmir as a Union Territory, further consolidating its control, and Indian claims of calling Kashmir an internal matter, he said that as a party to the dispute alongside the Kashmiri people, Pakistan would not accept any Indian unilateral decisions, which also violated the UN resolutions and international norms.
He said that Pakistani political parties were united on the Kashmir issue and criticised a political party for announcing demonstrations on the Day to press their demands, calling it an attempt to divide the masses and divert attention from India’s actions.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue its moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for their right to self-determination.
He also highlighted that during Pakistan’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July 2025, he raised the Kashmir issue alongside the Palestinian cause, advocating for justice and self-determination which also gained international recognition.
The deputy prime minister called on India to uphold democratic principles by granting Kashmiris their rights, releasing political prisoners, lifting oppressive laws, and removing its forces from Kashmiri villages. India must also lift restrictions on freedom of speech and movement and allow international bodies access to IIOJK to verify its human rights record.
He also urged India to implement UNSC resolutions granting Kashmiris the right to self-determination.
He told the gathering that following the 2019 Pulwama attack, India accused Pakistan of aggression, drawing parallels to actions in Pehalgam, where India attempted to divert water from rivers allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
The deputy prime minister said that having lost six of its fighter jets on May 7, India blamed Pakistan for attacking 15 Indian locations and claimed to have downed Pakistani F-16 aircraft, which was proved false later.
However, he said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and other services chiefs, Pakistan gave a befitting response, smashing Indian arrogance and foiling its hegemonic designs in the region.