Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore lay floral wreath at Azad Jammu and Kashmir Yadgar-e-Shuhada on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day. PHOTO: X (GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN)
MUZAFFARABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmir cause and declared that the struggle of the Kashmiri people for the right to self-determination will continue until its logical conclusion in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
Addressing a special session of AJK Legislative Assembly on Kashmir Solidarity Day, the Prime Minister also announced a special development package for the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Paying tribute to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, he said history testified that Kashmiris could sacrifice their lives and children but would never compromise on their freedom. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and AJK Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore laid wreath at Azad Jammu and Kashmir Yadgar-e-Shuhada.
The House also offered Fateha following the Prime Minister’s expression of deep sorrow over the demise of former AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry. He recalled the late leader’s lifelong dedication to Kashmir’s freedom movement and acknowledged the political services of his father, Chaudhry Noor Hussain, among the founding political figures of AJK.
Prime Minister Shehbaz saluted the martyrs of Kashmir struggle from Burhan Wani to veteran leader Syed Ali Geelani and paid tribute to leaders, activists, journalists, women and children including Asiya Andrabi, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He said the blood of innocent Kashmiris had exposed India’s narrative to the world.
He recalled Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s declaration of Kashmir as Pakistan’s jugular vein and said it continued to shape the country’s foreign policy. He maintained that lasting peace in South Asia was not possible unless India gave up its hegemonic ambitions and respected Kashmir’s fundamental rights.
Drawing a parallel between Kashmir and Palestine, the Prime Minister said that giving oppressed people the right to live according to their will was a test of the international community’s commitment to democracy, justice and international law, adding that Pakistan will continue to play an active role in the peaceful resolution of both issues.
Announcing a comprehensive development package for AJK, the prime minister outlined plans for Danish Schools, a world-class Danish university in Muzaffarabad focusing on modern technology, IT, artificial intelligence and scientific research, enhanced scholarships for Kashmiri migrants, merit-based distribution of laptops, scholarships under the water supply project, water supply projects, water supply projects, hydropower projects and projects for increased water supply. funds for universities, including women’s higher education institutions.
Concluding his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured continued cooperation with AJK irrespective of political changes and called for unity, perseverance and collective determination to achieve national development goals and advance the Kashmir cause.
Earlier, AJK Chief Minister Rathore thanked the Prime Minister for visiting AJK for the third time in a short span of time and called it a manifestation of his commitment to the Kashmiri people.
He said Pakistan’s political leadership had always remained united on Kashmir and praised the country’s diplomatic efforts, adding that Indian forces had failed to suppress the Kashmiri spirit despite decades of militarisation.
Rathore also paid tribute to the Kashmiri martyrs and Pakistan’s armed forces and expressed gratitude for the development initiatives, especially Danish Schools and educational projects, saying they would secure the future of the Kashmiri youth.
AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar thanked the Prime Minister for standing shoulder to shoulder with Kashmiris and prioritizing development alongside the freedom struggle.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Leader of Opposition Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan, PTI AJK President Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi, Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, Sardar Hassan Ibrahim Khan, Cabinet members and legislators attended the session.
Meanwhile, Chief of Staff and Chief of Defense Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also visited Muzaffarabad where he laid a wreath at the Jammu and Kashmir Martyrs Monument and paid tribute to the Shuhada of the freedom movement.
According to the ISPR, the COAS recognized the martyrs’ legacy of bravery and selfless sacrifice and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said Indian atrocities, continued human rights abuses and Hindutva-driven excesses had failed to suppress the legitimate aspirations of Kashmiris.
The COAS emphasized that Pakistan will continue to raise the Kashmir issue in all relevant international fora until a just solution is achieved in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
He also visited a forward post, interacted with frontline troops and praised their morale, professionalism and combat readiness, stressing the need for maximum operational readiness and vigilance.
He reiterated that any act of aggression would be met with a swift and appropriate response, stressing that Pakistan’s armed forces remain fully prepared to counter both conventional and hybrid threats.
