PM Shehbaz Sharif Calls for Dialogue with India to resolve the ongoing Kashmir conflict, emphasizing the need for peaceful negotiations to ensure regional stability. In a televised address to the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, he urged New Delhi to resolve the long-standing dispute through dialogue as Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir is observed.
PM Shehbaz Sharif stated that the day is not far when both India and Israel will be compelled to grant due rights to the people of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), as all other paths lead to total destruction. He highlighted that Pakistan, as a nuclear power, has never considered aggression as a solution and advocated for a peaceful resolution through dialogue.
He reminded the audience of the grave consequences of India’s illegal actions on August 5, 2019, when PM Narendra Modi’s government revoked the semi-autonomous status of the disputed valley. He condemned the ongoing efforts to silence the genuine leadership of the Kashmiri people and muzzle the media, noting that thousands of political prisoners remain detained and 14 political organizations have been outlawed.
PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed that Pakistan will continue to extend moral support to the Kashmiris and will persist in seeking international intervention until the Kashmiris achieve their basic rights and freedom. He paid tribute to the Kashmiri struggle for freedom, highlighting the bravery and resilience of the people against the atrocities of the Indian armed forces.
The prime minister also paid homage to Hurriyat leaders like Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Sardar Ibrahim Khan, Mirwaiz Muhammad Yousuf, Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Asiya Andrabi, Yaseen Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Mussarat Alam Butt, and Burhan Wani.
Addressing the situation in Palestine, PM Sharif condemned the ongoing violence, stating that over 40,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have been martyred. He criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the barbarism in Palestine and condemned the recent martyrdom of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He also denounced the arrest of the Imam of Aqsa Mosque for speaking about Haniyeh’s martyrdom.
In Pakistan, a day of mourning was observed, and funeral prayers in absentia were offered across the country for the martyrs.
