ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community on Monday to uphold human‑rights standards in Indian‑administered Jammu and Kashmir and to support a peaceful settlement of the long‑standing dispute, in line with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Marking Kashmir Martyrs’ Day on July 13, the leaders reiterated their commitment to stand with Kashmiris and back their legitimate struggle for self‑determination as recognised by the UN. They called on the world to press India to implement the pertinent UN resolutions.
President Zardari paid tribute to the 22 martyrs of 1931 and condemned the ongoing “illegal occupation,” noting that approximately 900,000 Indian security personnel continue to hold the region under military siege. He condemned the August 5 2019 changes as an attempt to alter the Kashmiri identity and demanded an immediate halt to repression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to demographic engineering.
Prime Minister Shehbaz highlighted the courage and resilience of Kashmiri martyrs and affirmed that, despite heavy militarisation, arbitrary detentions, media restrictions, and attempts to change the region’s demographic makeup, the people of Jammu and Kashmir persist in their pursuit of justice and self‑determination. He cited extensive documentation of rights violations by international human‑rights bodies and UN mechanisms.
Published in Dawn, July 13 2026
