ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed on Wednesday Pakistan’s commitment to resolving all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir, through dialogue, reiterating his unwavering support for the Kashmiri people. He made these statements during a special session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad, marking the annual “Kashmir Solidarity Day,” a day dedicated to showing support for Kashmiris.
“We seek to settle all matters, particularly Kashmir, through discussions,” stated Sharif. He urged India to move past the mindset established on August 5, 2019, and to honor its commitments to the United Nations while initiating a dialogue. This referenced the revocation of Article 370, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and divided the region into two union territories.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the path forward for both Pakistan and India lies in dialogue, as outlined in the Lahore Declaration of 1999, formulated during then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to Pakistan.
India has consistently stated its desire for normal relations with Pakistan, free from terrorism, hostility, and violence. Moreover, India maintains that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “was, is, and shall forever” be an integral part of its territory, with relations between the two nations deteriorating sharply following the 2019 constitutional changes.
Sharif accused India of accumulating weapons, asserting that an arms buildup would not foster peace or change the circumstances of the people in the region. He called on India to pursue wisdom, asserting that the route to development is through peace.
“Pakistan will persist in offering its steadfast moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve their right to self-determination,” Sharif emphasized.
“The only resolution to the Kashmir conflict lies in the right to self-determination as stipulated in the UNSC resolution…” he added.
Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif called upon the international community to apply pressure on India to permit the Kashmiri people to “freely determine their future for enduring peace in the region.”
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, along with military leaders and the Pakistan Armed Forces, also reaffirmed their support for the Kashmiris.
PoK “Prime Minister” Anwarul Haq stated that Pakistan remains the ultimate destination for Kashmiris, asserting that regional peace hinges on the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
State-run Radio Pakistan reported the display of posters and billboards across key avenues, airports, and railway stations in observance of this event. (Agencies)
Leave a Reply