274
Islamabad: Senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement, Altaf Ahmad Bhat, has expressed profound gratitude to Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, the entire Pakistani nation, political and religious parties, and the global Kashmiri and Pakistani diaspora for demonstrating resolute solidarity with the Kashmiri people on Kashmir Solidarity Day.
In a strongly worded statement, Altaf Ahmad Bhat said that the massive participation of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Jamaat-e-Islami, other political and religious parties, and the public at large reaffirms that the Kashmir issue remains central to Pakistan’s national policy and collective conscience. He emphasized that Pakistan’s consistent moral, political, and diplomatic support has greatly strengthened the resolve and morale of the Kashmiri people in their just struggle.
Highlighting the historical significance of the day, he recalled that Kashmir Solidarity Day was instituted in 1990 by the late Qazi Hussain Ahmad, during a period marked by widespread killings and mass migration of Kashmiris to Muzaffarabad due to brutal Indian military operations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said that amid this humanitarian catastrophe, Kashmir Solidarity Day emerged as a powerful and unified national voice against oppression.
Altaf Ahmad Bhat paid tribute to former Prime Ministers Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for their effective advocacy of the Kashmir cause at international forums, adding that the current government is carrying forward this legacy with renewed commitment.
He also praised the firm and unequivocal stance of the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, stating that Pakistan’s decisive success in the 2025 “Battle of Truth” against India not only dismantled Indian arrogance but also brought the Kashmir dispute back into sharp global focus. He termed this development a major diplomatic setback for India’s fabricated narrative.
Calling for proactive engagement, Altaf Ahmad Bhat urged the Government of Pakistan to immediately dispatch high-level diplomatic missions across the world, with the inclusion of genuine Kashmiri representatives, to expose Indian aggression and forcefully present the case for the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
He commended the overseas Kashmiri and Pakistani communities for their steadfast political and moral support and expressed confidence that their advocacy would continue until the complete liberation of Kashmir from Indian occupation.
Welcoming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to enhance financial assistance for Kashmiris, he further called upon the government to take concrete measures for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri refugees, restore the 6 percent quota in education and employment, and address the long-standing issues of affected Kashmiris on a priority basis.
Concluding his statement, Altaf Ahmad Bhat categorically asserted that Kashmir was never a part of India and can never be, reaffirming that the Kashmiri people will persist in their struggle until freedom and the right to self-determination are fully realized.
