ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday reaffirmed the country’s unwavering political, diplomatic and moral support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to play its role in ensuring the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
In his message on Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day (Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan), observed on July 19, the President paid tribute to the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference on July 19, 1947, describing it as a reflection of the political aspirations of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir at a defining moment in the subcontinent’s history.
He said the observance of the day highlighted the deep-rooted historical, cultural and spiritual ties between the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirmed the importance of respecting the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people in determining their future.
The President noted that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute had remained unresolved for nearly eight decades despite the relevant UNSC resolutions recognising the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. He said the continued denial of this fundamental right, along with persistent human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), remained a matter of serious concern for the international community. Reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding position, the President said the country had consistently advocated a peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations, to fulfil its responsibility by supporting efforts aimed at ensuring the realisation of the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
Paying tribute to the courage and resilience of the Kashmiri people, the President said they had rendered immense sacrifices in pursuit of their legitimate rights. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters and extend unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support until they were able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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