LAHORE: Former prime minister and president of the Pakistan People’s Party’s central Punjab chapter, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, has said the country wants peace with its neighbours, but will destroy the aggressors.

He was addressing a ‘Kashmir Baney Ga PakistanRally’ organised by the PPP Lahore chapter on The Mall on Sunday from Nasser Bagh up to Charing Cross on The Mall.

The PPP leader said that his party wants terrorism eliminated from the country and restoration of peace, tranquility and prosperity.

He congratulated the Lahorites for joining the rally in a large number to show solidarity with the Kashmiris suffering at the hands of Indian forces in the occupied region.

He saw the event as re-emergence of the PPP in the Punjab capital.

PPP central Punjab secretary general Syed Hassan Murtaza also congratulated the party’s Lahore chapter president Faisal Mir and Majeed Ghauri for organizing a “wonderful rally”. He said the PPP was not against any ruler, but terrorism and unemployment.

Mir said through rally, the party proved that public opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of the Kashmiris and against Narendra Modi.

He said the PPP salutes the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan’s brave forces for Kashmir and also to the courage and bravery of Field Marshal Asim Munir.

He said that we are sure if India did not set the Kashmiris free peacefully, the Pakistan Army would liberate Kashmir under the leadership of the field marshal.

He demanded that the Kashmir issue be included in President Donald Trump’s peace board’s agenda because India is committing the same atrocities in Kashmir as those committed in Gaza by Israel.

Central Punjab information secretary Shahzad Saeed Cheema and Lahore secretary general Dr Ayesha Shaukat said that the PPP gave the country a constitution and the right to vote to the common man.

Awami Rickshaw Union President Zeeshan Akbar said the union is participating in the rally to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026