President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday paid tribute to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs of July 13, 1931, saying their sacrifice remained a lasting symbol of the Kashmiri people’s struggle for justice, dignity and the right to self-determination.
In his message on the occasion of the 95th Kashmir Martyrs’ Day (Youm-e-Shuhada-e-Kashmir), the president said the people of Pakistan stood in solidarity with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in commemorating the martyrs who laid down their lives while facing indiscriminate firing by Dogra forces in 1931.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir continued to face challenges under Indian rule, adding that India’s actions of August 5, 2019, sought to alter the region’s political and demographic status and undermine the distinct identity of the Kashmiri people. He also referred to the discontinuation of the official observance of Kashmir Martyrs’ Day and the Guard of Honour ceremony at the Martyrs’ Graveyard.
President Zardari called on India to end repression in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), stop human rights violations, release political prisoners, lift restrictions and refrain from changing the demographic composition of the occupied territory.
He also urged the international community to play its role in promoting respect for human rights in IIOJK and to support efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The president prayed for the martyrs of Kashmir, asking Allah Almighty to grant them the highest place in Jannah, and expressed hope that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would soon be able to exercise their right to determine their own future freely and peacefully. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and extend unwavering support to their cause.