Pakistan reaffirms support for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination
• President Zardari highlights continued human rights concerns in IIOJK
• PM Shehbaz says lasting peace in South Asia hinges on Kashmir resolution
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday reiterated its principled stance in support of a peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In a message on Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day (Youm-i-Ilhaq-i-Pakistan), being observed on Sunday (today), President Asif Ali Zardari said: “We urge 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.”
He said: “Today, we pay tribute to the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference on July 19, 1947, which reflected the political aspirations of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir at a defining moment in the history of the subcontinent.”
The president said that for nearly eight decades, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has remained unresolved despite the United Nations Security Council resolutions recognising the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to self-determination.
“The continued denial of this fundamental right, coupled with persistent human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), remains a matter of serious concern for the international community,” he added.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan will continue to extend its unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support until the people of Jammu and Kashmir are able to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination.
In a message on the occasion of Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day, he said: “The unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute continues to have profound implications for regional peace and security.
“Lasting peace in South Asia requires its peaceful resolution in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026
