ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Kashmiris on Tuesday, October 27, marking the 79th anniversary of Kashmir Black Day.
Both leaders called for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
President Zardari urged the United Nations and international human rights organisations to examine reported rights violations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
He expressed concern over restrictions on fundamental freedoms, arrests and the heavy military presence in the territory. Zardari criticised India’s August 5, 2019, decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status.
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He argued that lasting peace in South Asia depends on resolving the dispute while respecting Kashmiri aspirations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately reaffirmed Pakistan’s moral, diplomatic and political support for Kashmiris.
He called for greater international attention to the imprisonment of Kashmiri political leaders, activists and human rights defenders.
Sharif urged respect for due process and fundamental liberties. Both leaders recalled the arrival of Indian troops in Srinagar on October 27, 1947. They described that event as the beginning of a prolonged dispute that continues to affect the region.
Pakistan observes Kashmir Black Day annually to express solidarity with Kashmiris and reiterate its position on their right to self-determination.
Zardari pledged to continue raising the issue at international forums, while Sharif maintained that Pakistan would support Kashmiri rights through diplomatic channels.
