ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s continued diplomatic, political and moral support for Kashmiris, saying the peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained a cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy.
In his message issued in connection with Youm-e-Istehsal, being observed today (August 5), the PM said the day was being marked to remind the world of the “grave consequences” of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, which, he said, sought to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in violation of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In his message, Sharif said that seven years after those measures, they had neither changed the legal status of Jammu and Kashmir nor diminished the aspirations of its people.
Instead, he said, they had deepened repression, undermined fundamental freedoms and accelerated attempts to alter the demographic composition of the occupied territory through unlawful legislative and administrative measures.
The PM said the continued suppression of Kashmiri political leadership, restrictions on civil liberties and curbs on independent media remained matters of serious concern.
He said despite these challenges, the courage, resilience and steadfastness of the Kashmiri people remained unshaken.
Their peaceful struggle for the realisation of their “inalienable right to self-determination”, he added, continued to inspire generations and commanded the respect and support of those who believed in justice, human dignity and the rule of international law.
He said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remained the principal unresolved issue affecting peace and stability in South Asia.
He said lasting peace in the region could not be achieved through coercion or unilateral action, but only through a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
He called upon the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and play its role in advancing a just and durable resolution of the dispute.
Sharif reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to extend diplomatic, political and moral support to the Kashmiri people and raise their voice at regional and international forums.
He urged the international community to call upon India to end what he described as human rights violations in IIOJK, reverse the measures introduced since August 2019, repeal the laws imposed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and create conditions for a peaceful resolution of the dispute through the exercise of the right to self-determination by the Kashmiri people in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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