President Asif Ali Zardari urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to remember the victims of the Jammu massacre and act upon the concerns raised by independent human rights organisations and UN human rights mechanisms.
President urges UN to remember victims of Jammu massacre
ISLAMABAD, Nov 05 (APP):President Asif Ali Zardari urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to remember the victims of the Jammu massacre and act upon the concerns raised by independent human rights organisations and UN human rights mechanisms.
In a message on Jammu Martyrs’ Day (Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Jammu), 6 November 2026, he said, “On Jammu Martyrs’ Day, we solemnly remember and pay tribute to the innocent Kashmiri Muslims massacred in Jammu in November 1947. We honour their memory and stand in solidarity with the families whose lives were shattered by violence and displacement.”
“Seventy-nine years ago, on this day, forces of the Dogra ruler, aided by extremist militias, carried out a systematic campaign of violence against Jammu’s Muslim population. Thousands of men, women and children lost their lives, while countless others were forced to abandon their homes and ancestral lands. These atrocities altered the demographic composition of Jammu and left wounds that endure across generations. The tragedy of 6 November 1947 must never be forgotten,” he added.
He said, “The suffering of the Kashmiri people is not confined to the past. Recent reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented arbitrary detentions, restrictions on peaceful dissent, punitive house demolitions and suppression of media freedom in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). UN human rights experts have also expressed alarm over reports of torture, custodial deaths and collective punishment. The use of sweeping security laws to silence journalists, human rights defenders and peaceful political voices demands international attention.”
“We are deeply alarmed by the promotion of hatred against Muslims, other religious minorities and hostility towards Pakistan by right-wing political figures and extremist groups that enjoy state patronage in India. Such rhetoric, particularly in the aftermath of India’s humiliating military setback in May 2025, risks fuelling persecution at home and dangerous adventurism abroad,” he said adding, ” The concerns raised by international human rights organisations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination must be addressed through accountability and protection for vulnerable communities. No government should exploit communal prejudice or hostility towards a neighbouring country to divert attention from its own follies and failures.”
He said, “The memory of the Jammu martyrs places a responsibility upon us all: to resist hatred, defend human dignity and ensure that no people are denied their rights through violence, discrimination or fear.”
“India must refrain from provocative rhetoric and military adventurism. Pakistan and India are both nuclear-weapon states, and another conflict would carry grave consequences for their peoples and the wider region. Pakistan desires peace, but it shall never compromise on its sovereignty, territorial integrity or the security of its people. Our commitment to dialogue must never be mistaken for weakness,” he stressed.
The President said, “The armed conflict created by India in May last year under the pretext of the Pahalgam false flag operation of April, 2025, demonstrated the urgent need for responsible conduct and sustained diplomacy. Lasting peace in South Asia requires a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Military force and repression cannot substitute for a political settlement.”
“India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 and subsequent measures have further undermined the rights of the Kashmiri people. India must reverse these measures, cease attempts to alter the demographic character of the illegally occupied territory and create conditions for the Kashmiri people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, a commitment that India itself undertook but has yet to fulfil,” he asserted.
“The passage of time cannot extinguish their rights or diminish the international community’s responsibility to uphold them,” he added.
He said, ” India must release all those arbitrarily detained, protect journalists and human rights defenders, end punitive demolitions and collective punishment, and ensure independent investigations into alleged human rights violations. It must also provide unhindered access to international human rights observers and cooperate fully with relevant UN mechanisms. Counter-terrorism narrative used by India cannot justify violations of fundamental rights or the punishment of entire families and communities.
“Pakistan remains steadfast in its principled position on Jammu and Kashmir. We will continue to raise this unresolved dispute at every relevant international forum and extend our moral, political and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they are able to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions,” he continued.
He said, “On this day, we honour the martyrs and reaffirm our solidarity with all Kashmiris who continue to endure suffering and separation from their loved ones. May Allah Almighty grant the martyrs the highest place in Jannah and bless the people of Jammu and Kashmir with freedom, peace and prosperity.”
