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February 06 , 2026
Kashmir Solidarity Day: Pakistani Leadership Reaffirms Support for Kashmiris’ Just Struggle
Islamabad: The nation observed the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 with a renewed pledge to support the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination.
The day featured rallies, demonstrations and seminars throughout the country. Human chains were formed at all entry points of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
A one-minute silence was observed across the country at 10am to pay homage to the martyrs of the Kashmir freedom movement, state-run Radio Pakistan reported .
In his message to mark the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast moral, diplomatic and political support for the Kashmiri people, reaffirming their “inalienable right to self-determination” as enshrined in the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The president said the people of Pakistan across the globe stand united with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle.
He recalled that the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day was initiated 36 years ago by ex-premier Benazir Bhutto following the historic Kashmiri uprising of 1989, a movement that continues to this day.
President Zardari urged the international community to press India to end human rights violations in held Kashmir.
He said India had intensified efforts to entrench its control through “administrative and legislative measures, curbing media freedoms, incarcerating Kashmiri leadership and attempting to alter the demographic composition of the territory”.
The president also highlighted what he described as grave human rights violations by Indian occupation forces, citing international reports that point to a rise in arbitrary detentions, collective punishment and punitive house demolitions.
He added that the “suppression of digital freedoms, including the blocking of thousands of social media accounts, reflected attempts to conceal the realities on the ground”.
In his message on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for the dispute’s resolution in accordance with UNSC resolutions.
He urged the international community to play an effective role in getting the Kashmiri people their “inalienable right through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations”.
He also announced that the government has increased the monthly per capita subsistence allowance of Kashmiri refugees to Rs5,000.
“The government of Pakistan is conducting a pilot project to construct 750 residential houses at a cost of Rs3 billion,” PM Shehbaz said.
PM Shehbaz visits AJK
Addressing the AJK Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, the premier said, “Today, we have gathered here to stand in solidarity with our brothers in [occupied] Kashmir on behalf of the Pakistani people and the Pakistani leadership.
“Soon, the freedom and nation of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters […] Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan.”
The prime minister paid tribute to leaders of the Kashmiri freedom movement, including Burhan Wani, Asia Andrabi, Yasin Malik and All-Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq .
“History has shown that Kashmiris can sacrifice themselves or their children but will not compromise on their freedom,” PM Shehbaz noted.
“Kashmiris show the world every day the mirror of reality. They announce every day that Kashmir has never been a part of India, it is not, and it will never be,” he further said.
“The solution to the Jammu-Kashmir dispute is to honor the wishes of the people of Kashmir and the implementation of the UNSC’s resolutions,” the prime minister said.
“India has no way other than this.”
PM Shehbaz affirmed, “Pakistan will continue to speak in favor of Kashmir until the birthright of Kashmiris’ freedom is given to them.”
Recalling the four-day conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025, he quipped, “Our brave armed forces, under the courageous leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, meted India such a defeat that even their generations would not be able to forget.”
“Our victory during Marka-i-Haq was also a victory of the Kashmir cause and the sacrifices made by Kashmiris,” he said, pointing out that the Kashmir cause was diplomatically “reignited with full force” in the wake of the conflict. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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