Civil-military leadership salutes Kashmiris on Solidarity Day; condemns Indian actions in IIOJK

Kakar says New Delhi's atrocities in IIOJK are no longer secret

RAWALPINDI:

The civil and military leadership of the country praised on Monday the remarkable fortitude, resilience, and steadfast faith displayed by the Kashmiri people in the face of relentless brutality from the Indian occupation forces in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

To mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwarul Haq Kakar and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir visited Muzaffarabad to express unwavering support for the people of Kashmir, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The prime minister and the army chief, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwaarul Haq visited the Martyrs’ Monument in Muzaffarabad. They laid a floral wreath at the monument and paid glowing tribute to the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs.

During the visit, the prime minister addressed a special session of the AJK Legislative Assembly, while the army chief visited the frontlines along the Line of Control (LoC) in Sarian sector, where he interacted with the troops.

According to the media wing of the military, the leaders voiced concerns over the brewing humanitarian and security crises in IIOJK, which posed a serious threat to regional peace and stability. They pledged Pakistan’s unwavering support to the Kashmiris in their struggle for their right to self-determination.

Army Chief Gen Asim said any aggression or violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty will be responded with strong national determination and military force. “The army is well aware of the full spectrum of threats and is always ready to respond effectively,” he said.

Gen Asim also mentioned India’s state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan, targeting its land and the people. “Pakistan will continue to expose all such attempts,” he said. “We will ensure safety of every citizen,” he added.

In his speech in the AJK Assembly, meanwhile, Prime Minister Kakar said that India could not impose any unilateral solution on Kashmir, stressing that the issue could only be resolved through a plebiscite under the UN auspices and as per resolutions of the United Nations and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Read Kashmir Solidarity Day today

The prime minister said Jammu and Kashmir being a Muslim majority area of British India should have been part of Pakistan but the aspirations of Kashmiri people were crushed by force and conspiracies.

He assured that Pakistan remained committed to the progress and development of the AJK.

Drawing attention toward Indian atrocities in IIOJK, Kakar said that the Indian leadership was using all tactics to further consolidate its occupation of the area. “Unprecedented tyranny has been unleashed in IIOJK under the venomous ideology of Hindutva,” he said.

“An onslaught on the culture of Kashmir is going on in IIOJK. Arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings have become order of the day. The Indian forces are doing this with impunity under draconian laws, he continued. “Over 96,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives during the last 35 years as a result.”

He said women were being harassed, while pellet gun was used to blind Kashmiris, stressing that whatever happened in Kashmir was not less than a human tragedy. “All such atrocities should come to an end,” the prime minister added.

He demanded of the world to take notice of this barbarism and hold India answerable for committing serious human rights violations and bloodshed in the IIOJK. “Terrorism is an international issue and its most dreadful aspect is when it is committed by a state just like India in IIOJK.”

Kakar also held a meeting with AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry and the Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. During the meeting, he assured the AJK leadership that Pakistani nation stood shoulder to shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their struggle for the right to self-determination.

The events in Muzaffarabad underlined Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the Kashmir cause and its resolve to address regional challenges with strength and diplomacy. The leadership reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to expose India’s nefarious designs at all international forums.