- President Zardari hails GB people’s love, sacrifices, and steadfast loyalty to Pakistan
- Terms GB ‘crown of Pakistan’ and gateway of lasting partnership with China
- Remembers 1,700 who laid down lives and 30,000 wounded in 1947 freedom struggle
- Highlights ZA Bhutto and Shaheed BB’s historic steps for governance and rights in GB
GILGIT: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday paid rich tribute to the unwavering love, sacrifices and loyalty of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for Pakistan, calling them the “guardians of the nation’s northern frontiers” who stood firm in every test of time. He urged that this deep bond of sacrifice and service be matched with a collective resolve to make Gilgit-Baltistan a model of development, justice and equality.
Addressing a ceremony to mark the 78th Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan from Dogra rule, the president said that for more than seven decades, the valiant people of the region had marched shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Pakistan—defending its borders, contributing to its progress, and carrying its flag to the world’s highest peaks.
President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the central ceremony marking the 78th Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan and inspected the guard of honour. He lauded the spirit of the people and reaffirmed resolve to make GB a model of development and equality. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/8qIuu3iJkr
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 1, 2025
“This region is not only the crown of Pakistan but also our northern gateway—a symbol of lasting friendship with China,” he said, adding that the Karakoram Highway was a living testament to this partnership while the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had opened new doors of trade, connectivity, and livelihoods for the people of GB.
He emphasized that it was their shared responsibility to ensure that the dividends of these development projects reached every valley and village, creating prosperity and opportunity for all.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid rich tribute to the martyrs and people of Gilgit-Baltistan for their courage, patriotism and contributions to Pakistan’s unity and progress, terming GB the “crown of Pakistan” and symbol of friendship with China. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/ACUdkZSjcI
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 1, 2025
The president said that the freedom of Gilgit-Baltistan’s people also reminded the nation of the unfinished journey of their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). “While you enjoy liberty and rights under the flag of Pakistan, they continue to face occupation and repression. We stand with them till they achieve freedom in accordance with the UNSC resolutions,” he affirmed.
Calling Gilgit-Baltistan his “second home,” President Zardari recalled that the people of the region had won their freedom through their own struggle and voluntarily chose to join Pakistan, proving their eternal attachment to the motherland.
Paying glowing tribute to the 1,700 martyrs and 30,000 wounded of the 1947 liberation movement, he said their sacrifices were immortal in the nation’s history.
President Zardari noted that successive Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) governments had always prioritized the region’s progress—from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s abolition of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) and the merger of princely states in 1974 to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s reforms introducing a governance structure and later the PPP government’s constitutional steps establishing the legislative assembly and offices of governor and chief minister.
President Asif Ali Zardari said the PPP has always served the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and will continue this tradition. “Gilgit-Baltistan may be new for others, but not for us,” he remarked while addressing the PPP GB chapter in Gilgit. pic.twitter.com/MBrdeDGHFC
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 1, 2025
He called for expanded education and healthcare facilities and the use of GB’s water and natural resources for hydropower generation, adding that tourism could become a major economic driver. He suggested the establishment of a regional airline to promote tourism and connectivity.
Condemning the persecution of Muslims in India, President Zardari lauded Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his vision that gave Muslims a homeland where they could live with dignity and freedom.
Earlier, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan recalled the people’s heroic struggle against Dogra rule in 1947, paid homage to the martyrs, and thanked the president for attending the independence celebrations. He said the PPP had given Gilgit-Baltistan its identity in 2009 and reaffirmed its commitment to integrating the region into Pakistan’s constitutional framework without undermining the Kashmir cause.
The chief minister also lauded the Pakistan Armed Forces and the leadership of Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, saying Operation Bunyanum Marsoos had further enhanced Gilgit-Baltistan’s security and prestige.
President Zardari reviewed the parade and witnessed cultural floats from all three divisions of Gilgit-Baltistan, which drew great applause from the audience.
The ceremony was attended by Governor Syed Mehdi Shah, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, Commander X Corps Lt Gen Ahsan Amir Nawaz, Force Commander Northern Areas Maj Gen Syed Imtiaz Gilani, legislators, senior officials, and a large number of citizens.
Earlier, upon arrival at Gilgit Airport, President Zardari was warmly received by the governor and chief minister.
