BY: FT Correspondent:
ISLAMABAD—-Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his message on Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan (Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan Day), said the day commemorates the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference on 19 July 1947, reflecting the political aspirations of the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir to accede to Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said the occasion symbolizes the enduring bonds between the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, based on shared history, faith, culture, geography and longstanding ties. He stressed the importance of respecting the freely expressed will of the Kashmiri people.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s principled stance, the Prime Minister said the country remains committed to supporting the inalienable right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. He noted that the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute continues to have serious implications for regional peace and security, and emphasized that lasting peace in South Asia requires its peaceful resolution in line with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the courage, resilience and steadfastness of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), reaffirming that Pakistan will continue to extend its unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support until the Kashmiri people are able to exercise their right to self-determination.
