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ISLAMABAD, Feb 04 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast moral, diplomatic and political support for the Kashmiri people, reaffirming their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In his message on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day, observed on February 5, the president said that the people of Pakistan across the globe stand united with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle.
He recalled that the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day was initiated 36 years ago by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto following the historic Kashmiri uprising of 1989, a movement that continues to this day.
President Zardari said that for nearly eight decades they have remained steadfast in the face of what he termed illegal Indian occupation, rendering immense sacrifices for their fundamental rights and freedoms.
He expressed deep concern over the prevailing situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), stating that the unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019 had further aggravated the plight of the Kashmiri people.
He said India had intensified efforts to entrench its control through administrative and legislative measures, curbing media freedoms, incarcerating Kashmiri leadership and attempting to alter the demographic composition of the territory.
The president also highlighted what he described as grave human rights violations by Indian occupation forces, citing international reports that point to a rise in arbitrary detentions, collective punishment and punitive house demolitions.
He added that the suppression of digital freedoms, including the blocking of thousands of social media accounts, reflected attempts to conceal the realities on the ground.
Referring to the recent profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in IIOJK, President Zardari termed these actions as deliberate intimidation aimed at restricting the religious freedom of the Muslim majority population.
He said such measures were part of a broader pattern of religious persecution and stressed that Kashmiris have an inalienable right to practice their religion without fear or discrimination.
The president warned that the military escalation initiated by India in May 2025 underscored the fragility of peace in South Asia, emphasizing that lasting regional stability was impossible without a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Calling on the international community to move beyond expressions of concern, President Zardari urged it to press India to end human rights violations in IIOJK, allow unhindered access to international human rights observers and fulfill its commitment to granting Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s position, he said the country would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kashmiri people until they are able to determine their future through a free and impartial plebiscite.