Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for renewed international focus on the Kashmir issue, linking regional peace in South Asia to a just resolution of the long-standing dispute. His remarks came on the occasion of Kashmir Accession Day, observed annually on July 19 to commemorate the 1947 resolution passed by Kashmiri leaders in favor of joining Pakistan.

In his official statement, the prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. He honored the historic choice made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, describing it as a pivotal moment in the region’s history.

Sharif praised the unwavering resolve and sacrifices of Kashmiris who, despite enduring decades of military occupation and oppression, continue to fight for their freedom. “Over a million Indian forces have tried to crush the Kashmiri spirit, but it remains unyielding,” he said.

Highlighting the generational continuity of the Kashmiri struggle, the prime minister commended the courage of today’s youth, who, he said, carry forward the legacy of resistance from their forebears.

He stressed that peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. “A fair and peaceful settlement is not only a regional imperative but a moral obligation of the international community,” Sharif added.

Sharif also criticized the Indian government, particularly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for ongoing human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He condemned what he termed “brutal policies” by New Delhi and urged the global community to intervene meaningfully.

“Kashmiris must be granted their legitimate rights. The silence of the world in the face of continued injustice cannot go on,” he emphasized.

Kashmir Accession Day serves as a symbolic reaffirmation of Pakistan’s historical stance and solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir—a position Islamabad continues to uphold more than seven decades later.