Pakistan marks Kashmir Solidarity Day with nationwide rallies, calls for self-determination

Thousands of people across Pakistan participated in rallies, seminars, and human chains on Thursday to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, an annual observance reaffirming support for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir. Major demonstrations were held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and other cities, with similar events taking place in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

National Observance and Leadership Messages

The day, a national holiday, began with special prayers in mosques for Kashmir’s “liberation,” and a minute of silence was observed nationwide at 10 a.m. local time. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Muzaffarabad and met with Kashmiri leaders, reiterating Pakistan’s support for their “freedom struggle.” In a separate message, President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s “steadfast moral, diplomatic and political” backing for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination under UN Security Council resolutions.

Calls for International Action

Both Sharif and Pakistan’s military chiefs urged the international community to help secure a “just and peaceful resolution” of the Kashmir dispute through a UN-supervised plebiscite. The military leadership also condemned reported human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, including extrajudicial killings and demographic changes. India has not immediately responded to the statements from Pakistan.

Background on Kashmir

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947 and claimed in full by both countries. The two nuclear-armed neighbors have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, and the region remains one of the world’s most militarized and contested territories.