Islamabad( The COW News Digital)Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir on Kashmir Exploitation Day, calling upon India to revoke its unilateral and illegal actions of August 5, 2019, and urging the international community to hold New Delhi accountable for its human rights violations in the disputed region.
In a strong message delivered on the occasion, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s moral, political, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He demanded that India cease its systematic oppression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), repeal draconian laws, and implement UN Security Council resolutions guaranteeing the right of Kashmiris to decide their own future.
“We strongly condemn the unilateral and illegal measures taken by India on August 5, 2019, which were in clear violation of international law and UN resolutions,” said PM Sharif. He emphasized that these actions aim to alter the demographic structure and political landscape of IIOJK.
Highlighting the plight of the Kashmiri people under what he described as eight decades of illegal Indian occupation, the prime minister said their basic human rights, dignity, and identity have been continuously denied. “The state-sponsored terrorism and repression has only intensified, but the valiant Kashmiris have endured with unmatched dignity and resistance,” he added.
Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to jailed Kashmiri leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Yasin Malik, and Masarat Alam Bhat, stating that efforts to silence the genuine leadership of Kashmir are part of a larger expansionist and extremist agenda.
He also reminded the world of India’s unprovoked aggression against Pakistan in May 2025, which resulted in a swift and decisive military response by Pakistan, further highlighting the volatile nature of the unresolved Kashmir dispute.
The prime minister called on the global community to make the resolution of the Kashmir conflict a top priority, adding that the aspirations of the Kashmiri people as outlined in UN resolutions must form the basis of any future settlement.
Concluding his message, PM Sharif reaffirmed that resolving the Kashmir issue is a core pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy, and that Pakistan will continue to stand firmly with its Kashmiri brethren until they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination.
