Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support for the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), declaring that the Kashmir dispute can only be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.  

Addressing a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly convened in Muzaffarabad on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day, the prime minister said Pakistan stood firmly with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their struggle for freedom. "Today, we have gathered to show solidarity with our Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

Pakistan is present to express unwavering support for their cause,” he said. PM Shehbaz expressed confidence that the sacrifices rendered by the Kashmiri people would ultimately bear fruit and Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan. “The sacrifices of Kashmiris will not go in vain. I pay tribute to the martyrs of the freedom movement,” he said, adding, “History has shown that Kashmiris can sacrifice themselves or their children but will not compromise on their freedom”. 

“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. Reiterating Pakistan’s principled position, the Pakistan PM said the only viable solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute lay in honouring the wishes of the Kashmiri people through the implementation of UNSC resolutions.

“India has no option other than this,” he remarked, affirming, “Pakistan will continue to speak in favour of Kashmir until the birthright of Kashmiris is given to them.” PM Shehbaz recalled the vision of Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had called Kashmir the "jugular vein of Pakistan."

Referring to 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. 

The prime minister then turned his attention towards the surge in terrorism in the country. “After suffering defeat in Marka-i-Haq, India is now intensifying terrorism through proxies,” PM Shehbaz said. He asserted that peace cannot be established in the region until India’s “aggressive, expansionist, dominating and nefarious schemes come to an end”.  

“The brave armed forces and security forces of Pakistan will do the same to the puppets involved in Indian terrorism that they did to Indian jets in Marka-i-Haq,” the premier quipped. However, he emphasised, “We want peace, but this peace can be established on the basis of equality and justice. No matter what front India opens or what language it uses, we will respond there in an unforgettable way.” PM Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s efforts for regional stability, saying, "Pakistan will continue its role in practical conflict resolution." 

The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled stance on Palestine and Kashmir. "Our diplomatic efforts have successfully countered India’s false narrative, and unity is essential to neutralise the enemy’s designs," he said, adding that Pakistan has taken principled steps to ensure peace in Gaza. In his speech to the assembly, AJK PM Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore noted that both the political and military leadership of Pakistan were expressing solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir.

“Pakistani soldiers have never hesitated to make sacrifices for Kashmir,” he said.  Rathore highlighted that the country’s political leadership has never differentiated on the issue of Kashmir. “On the one hand, there is India that has turned Kashmir into a jail, and then there is Pakistan, which is sensitive to even the smallest of our difficulties,” he said.  

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)