• Calls on international community to address India’s ‘state terrorism,’ ‘extrajudicial killings,’ and human rights violations
• Parallel drawn between Dogra regime and Modi govt actions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top leadership on Sunday reaffirmed the country’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri’s people right to self-determination and their resistance against oppression, marking Kashmir Martyrs’ Day with renewed pledges of political, diplomatic and moral backing.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, paid tribute to the resilience and sacrifices of Kashmiris in their decades long struggle against Indian rule.

Both leaders vowed that Pakistan will continue to support Kashmir cause until the region achieve self-governance in accordance with UN resolutions.

President Zardari commended Kashmiris for their “steadfast bravery and sacrifices” against Indian control and called upon international bodies and human rights groups to address the alleged state terrorism and rights violations in the occupied region.

PM Shehbaz echoed these sentiment, emphasising the “ongoing sacrifices made by Kashmiris in their fight for self-determination”.

He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting their cause “politically, ethically, and diplomatically”.

Naqvi condemns ‘oppression’

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs of July 13, 1931, who, he said, “faced bullets with courage and dignity in reverence of the call to prayer (Azaan).”

He described the day as “harbringer of free conscience against a system that sought to silence the oppressed”, drawing parallel between the Dogra regime and the current violence of Modi’s government.

He accused the Modi government of “oppressive actions against Kashmiris,” including “the genocide of Kashmiri youth, extrajudicial killings, and silencing of journalists”.

Naqvi also referenced former US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir, saying, “US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate opened a door to peace, but India closed this door, proving its warlike mindset through its rejection of dialogue.”

AJK PM’s warning

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq, in an interview with a local news channel, said the sacrifice of the martyrs “formed the bedrock of the Kashmiri freedom movement, a fight that will endure.”

He urged the international community to recognise the Kashmiris’ “legitimate right to self-determination” and called for renewed efforts to resolve the conflict through peaceful dialogue.

Anwar-ul-Haq warned that “India’s brutality shows no signs of abating,” and cautioned that continued aggression would “only harden the resolve of Kashmiris, escalate their struggle for freedom, and provoke a fierce and uncompromising response from Pakistan’s armed forces”.

He also accused India of fuelling unrest in Balochistan, calling for international accountability.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2025