ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister of Azad Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, in his special message on the 78th Founding Day of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, paid rich tributes to the valiant mujahideen and ghazis whose sacrifices laid the foundation of Azad Kashmir.
He said the historic day reminds the nation of the great struggle of those who, under the leadership of the founding President Ghazi-e-Millat Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and other leaders, liberated a part of Jammu and Kashmir and established a representative government for the Kashmiri people.
Sardar Tanveer Ilyas emphasized that the region’s freedom is the result of the sacrifices of its people, the Pakistan Armed Forces, and the tribal warriors, whose courage and blood sanctified every hill and river of Azad Kashmir.
He lamented that a large part of Jammu and Kashmir still remains under Indian occupation, where millions of Kashmiris continue to suffer oppression. “Thousands of innocent Kashmiris have embraced martyrdom, countless women have been dishonored, children orphaned, and many freedom fighters have disappeared or are buried in unmarked graves,” he said.
The PPP leader said that Pakistan has continued its political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri freedom struggle despite all challenges. He stressed that peace in South Asia will remain a distant dream until the Kashmiris are granted their right to self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions.
He concluded by reaffirming that the armed forces of Pakistan are the guardians of the country’s ideological and geographical frontiers, and that Kashmiris’ ultimate destination is Pakistan. “As long as a single Kashmiri lives, the flame of freedom will continue to shine,” he declared.
