MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq on Thursday congratulated the nation on Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day and termed India’s defeat in the “Battle of Truth” as “the worst in its history.”

Speaking at the central ceremony in Muzaffarabad to mark the day, he said the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir were “one soul in two bodies,” and that Pakistan was founded on the ideology of La ilaha illallah.

“In Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, martyrs are laid to rest in Pakistan’s flag. The slogan of martyred Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani - ‘We are Pakistanis, and Pakistan is ours’- is the voice of every Kashmiri’s heart,” he said.

The PM credited the “infinite grace of Allah” and the “bold leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir” for Pakistan’s military success, saying its armed forces “defeated India on land, in the air, in cyberspace, and on all fronts.”

The victory, he added, even compelled US President Donald Trump to acknowledge the urgency of resolving the Kashmir dispute.

Mr Haq paid tribute to leaders of the Pakistan Movement and martyrs of the Kashmir freedom struggle, expressing hope that “the day is not far when the green crescent flag will fly over occupied Kashmir.”

Recalling Kashmir’s historic ties to Pakistan, he said the region’s leaders had endorsed the Pakistan Resolution in 1940 and passed a resolution for accession on July 19, 1947.

He noted that Pakistan’s creation under Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had shattered the “Congress dream of Akhand Bharat.”

He said India was committing war crimes in occupied Kashmir and of pursuing anti-Muslim policies at home, in what “vindicated the Two-Nation Theory.”

The “Battle of Truth,” he maintained, had diplomatically isolated India and exposed “the hollowness of Modi’s threats.”

Vowing steadfast support for Pakistan’s armed forces, he said, “Every child in AJK will stand shoulder to shoulder with our military for the country’s defence, sparing no sacrifice.”

The event was attended by AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, cabinet members, senior civil and military officials, and citizens.

After the prime minister hoisted the national flag, a police contingent presented a guard of honour.

Separately, activists of Pasban-i-Hurriyat, an organisation of post-1989 migrants from occupied Kashmir, staged a thanksgiving rally outside the press club to mark the Independence Day.

Elsewhere, flag-hoisting ceremonies and pro-Pakistan rallies were held at almost all district and tehsil headquarters in AJK.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2025