Kathmandu, 5 February 2026 – The Embassy of Pakistan organized a program to commemorate Kashmir Solidarity Day, focusing on the theme “Regional Peace and Stability in South Asia: Resolving the Kashmir Issue as a Prerequisite.” The event brought together journalists, writers, friends of Kashmir, and human rights activists. Messages from the President, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan were read out.

In his message, President Asif Ali Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for self-determination, as outlined in the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. He emphasized that lasting peace in South Asia is impossible without a just resolution of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) dispute and urged the international community to ensure the Kashmiri people’s right to a free and impartial plebiscite.

Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s principled moral, diplomatic, and political support for the Kashmiri people, highlighting that India’s unilateral actions on 5 August 2019 further worsened the political and human rights situation in IIOJK.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar highlighted the plight of people under subjugation in IIOJK, citing widespread human rights violations, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of political and media freedoms. He called on the international community to implement UN Security Council Resolutions and uphold the Kashmiri people’s right to a free and impartial plebiscite.

Ambassador Abrar H Hashmi emphasized that regional peace and stability in South Asia cannot be achieved without addressing the core Kashmir issue. He underlined that international law, UNSC resolutions, and the global community’s moral responsibility provide a clear framework to guarantee the right to self-determination of the people of IIOJK. He rejected the validity of any legislation enacted under Indian administration, affirming that such actions do not alter the disputed status of the territory.

The discussion that followed called for meaningful dialogue and intensified efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at international organizations, under international legal and humanitarian norms. Speakers stressed the urgent need for the global community to act in solidarity with the subjugated people of IIOJK, noting that resolving the dispute is a prerequisite for regional peace.