ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling for a just resolution of the long-running dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
In their separate messages on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day, observed on Monday, both leaders condemned India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir that began on October 27, 1947, and reaffirmed that peace in South Asia would remain out of reach without resolving the issue.
President Zardari said the international community, particularly the United Nations and global human rights bodies, must hold India accountable for grave violations in the occupied territory. He described the day Indian forces entered Srinagar as “one of the darkest chapters in modern history” and said generations of Kashmiris have endured violence, repression, and denial of basic rights under occupation.
“The United Nations owes it to the Kashmiri people to ensure justice and self-determination,” he said, stressing that Pakistan would continue to extend moral, diplomatic, and political support to Kashmiris “in their struggle for peace and justice.”
Zardari noted that India’s actions since August 5, 2019, including the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status, had deepened the crisis. He said India was attempting to change the region’s demographic makeup and suppress dissent through draconian laws, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, said that India’s continued denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination had turned October 27 into “the darkest day in the history of Kashmir.”
“For nearly eight decades, the people of occupied Kashmir have endured persecution and fear,” he said. “Their courage and resilience in the face of oppression remain unmatched.”
The prime minister said India’s attempts to alter the political and demographic status of the occupied territory were in violation of international law and UN resolutions. He condemned the imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders and activists under “fabricated charges” and said such acts were part of a broader campaign to silence political voices.
“As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I assure the Kashmiri people that they are not alone in their struggle,” he said. “The 240 million people of Pakistan stand firmly with them until their dream of freedom is realized.”
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also said October 27 marked a dark chapter in history when India violated international law by occupying Jammu and Kashmir. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman similarly reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
