ISLAMABAD: Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity Day on Thursday with nationwide rallies, public gatherings, official messages and symbolic events reaffirming support for the Kashmiri people and their right to self-determination, as senior political and military leaders issued statements linking regional peace to resolution of the long-standing dispute.
A one-minute silence was observed at 10am across the country in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the conflict, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan. Human chains were organised at major entry points of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while seminars, demonstrations and ceremonies were held in cities and towns across all provinces.
In his message for the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated what he described as Pakistan’s consistent moral, diplomatic and political backing for Kashmiris, referring to their right to self-determination as recognised in United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“The people of Pakistan, wherever they may be in the world, stand shoulder to shoulder with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle,” the president said.
He recalled that Kashmir Solidarity Day began 36 years ago after the 1989 uprising in the disputed region, an observance initiated during the tenure of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
President Zardari urged the international community to press India over what he termed human rights violations and referred to measures introduced after August 2019, including legal and administrative steps, restrictions on media, detentions of political figures and changes described as affecting the demographic structure of the territory.
He also cited international reporting that referred to detentions, demolition of houses and limits on digital communication, saying such actions reflected attempts to restrict the flow of information.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his own message, said the dispute should be resolved in line with UN resolutions through what he called a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices. He announced an increase in the monthly per capita subsistence allowance for Kashmiri refugees and outlined a housing initiative for displaced families living in AJK.
“The government of Pakistan is conducting a pilot project to construct 750 residential houses at a cost of Rs3 billion,” the prime minister said, adding that land had been provided by the AJK government for the project.
He said rehabilitation of refugees from Jammu and Kashmir remained a national responsibility and that Pakistan would continue its support until Kashmiris achieved their right to determine their future.
Later in the day, the prime minister travelled to Muzaffarabad where he addressed a special sitting of the AJK Legislative Assembly. Speaking before lawmakers, he said the session symbolised solidarity with Kashmiris on behalf of Pakistan’s political leadership and people.
“Today, we have gathered here to stand in solidarity with our brothers in occupied Kashmir,” he said. “Soon, the freedom and nation of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters will prevail, and Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan.”
During the address, the prime minister paid tribute to figures associated with the Kashmiri movement, including Burhan Wani, Asiya Andrabi, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He said the history of the conflict showed that Kashmiris had made sacrifices without compromising on what he described as their quest for freedom.
“The solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is to honour the wishes of the people of Kashmir and the implementation of the UNSC resolutions. India has no way other than this,” he said.
The prime minister referred to the four-day military confrontation between Pakistan and India in May 2025, saying the episode had revived diplomatic attention on the Kashmir issue.
“Our victory during Marka-i-Haq was also a victory of the Kashmir cause and the sacrifices made by Kashmiris,” he said, praising the role of the armed forces under Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He accused India of supporting unrest in Pakistan through proxies following that conflict and said peace in the region depended on what he described as an end to aggressive policies.
“We want peace, but this peace can be established on the basis of equality and justice,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz also used the occasion to announce development measures for AJK. He said Rs9.4 billion had been allocated for water supply and hydropower projects in Neelum, Rs10 billion for the construction of Haryam Bridge, Rs1.40 billion for the University of Kotli and Rs1.46 billion for a women’s university in Bagh. He also announced plans for a Daanish school in Muzaffarabad.
Referring to financial support for refugees, the prime minister said he had directed that the stipend for those who migrated in 1989 be increased from Rs3,500 to Rs6,000 per month.
He paid tribute to late AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, saying he had devoted his life to the Kashmir cause.
The prime minister was accompanied on the visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf and Adviser Rana Sanaullah.
AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, addressing the assembly, said both Pakistan’s political and military leadership had consistently expressed solidarity with Kashmiris.
“Pakistani soldiers have never hesitated to make sacrifices for Kashmir,” Rathore said. “On the one hand, there is India that has turned Kashmir into a jail, and then there is Pakistan, which is sensitive to even the smallest of our difficulties.”
Separate statements were issued by the country’s top military leadership through the Inter-Services Public Relations. Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu said a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with UN resolutions was essential for stability in South Asia.
They referred to reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, detentions and demographic changes, and called on the international community to take meaningful steps to ease the suffering of Kashmiris.
“The international community must take concrete and meaningful action to alleviate the suffering of the Kashmiri people,” the statement said.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in a separate message, said Kashmiris continued to be denied what he called their basic rights and urged implementation of UN resolutions.
“At the heart of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute lies India’s failure to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions guaranteeing the Kashmiri people a free and impartial plebiscite,” he said.
He described the situation since August 2019 as a sustained pattern of repression and referred to allegations of demographic changes and restrictions on religious institutions.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also issued a statement saying the issue stemmed from unresolved questions dating back to partition and that regional peace depended on recognising Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Public events were organised in multiple locations. In Islamabad, Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam led a rally from China Chowk to D-Chowk where participants carried banners and chanted slogans. At Kohala Bridge, a ceremony featured a human chain, flag hoisting and the national anthem, with officials and citizens in attendance.
In Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah led a march from People’s Chowrangi to Mazar-i-Quaid. Members of the provincial cabinet and senior officials joined the procession.
Addressing participants, Murad Ali Shah said the issue united people across political and ethnic lines.
“It is clear that this is not a decision between two countries, but India must be held accountable and the world must fulfil its promise to Kashmiris,” he said.
Similar gatherings were reported in other cities where seminars and discussions highlighted the historical background of the dispute and the humanitarian dimension.
Beyond Pakistan’s borders, a ceremony was held at Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul. Ambassador Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani described the Kashmir issue as central to Pakistan’s national outlook and reiterated support for Kashmiris.
Participants at the various events said the observance symbolised unity and sought to draw attention to the issue at both national and international levels.
Across the country, sirens marked the moment of silence at 10am. Educational institutions, government offices and public spaces paused briefly in remembrance before activities resumed.
Speakers at seminars and rallies repeatedly linked prospects for lasting peace in South Asia with resolution of the dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the wishes of Kashmiris.
While official messages dominated the day’s narrative, the symbolic activities such as human chains, rallies and public prayers reflected an effort to involve citizens directly in the observance.
Kashmir Solidarity Day has been marked annually for more than three decades, serving as a focal point for political messaging, public engagement and diplomatic positioning on the issue. This year’s observance brought together statements from the presidency, the prime minister’s office, parliament, provincial leadership, the armed forces and Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad, presenting a unified position from the country’s institutions.
Leaders repeatedly stressed that Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir remained unchanged and called on the international community to move beyond expressions of concern towards what they described as practical steps for implementation of UN resolutions.
As rallies concluded and ceremonies dispersed, the central theme echoed in speeches and statements remained the same: that the question of Kashmir, in the view of Pakistan’s leadership, remained unresolved and central to the region’s future stability.
