By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD -  Thousands of people rallied across Pakistan on Thursday as the country observed Kashmir Solidarity Day, with political and military leaders reiterating support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and urging the international community to address the long-standing dispute.

Public gatherings, seminars, and human chains were organized in major cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta, as well as in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The day, observed as a national holiday since the early 1990s, began with special prayers in mosques and a nationwide minute of silence at 10 a.m.

The main rally took place near Pakistan’s Parliament House, drawing federal ministers, lawmakers, students, women, and Kashmiri representatives. Hundreds also formed a human chain at Kohala Bridge linking Pakistan to Azad Kashmir, while flag-hoisting ceremonies and the national anthem marked official events.

President Asif Ali Zardari, in his message, reaffirmed Pakistan’s “steadfast moral, diplomatic and political support” for Kashmiris, describing their right to self-determination as inalienable under United Nations Security Council resolutions. He paid tribute to the “indomitable spirit and resilience” of Kashmiris and voiced concern over the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Zardari criticized India’s actions since August 5, 2019, alleging administrative and legislative measures aimed at consolidating control over the region, along with restrictions on media, political detentions, and demographic changes. He urged the global community to move beyond expressions of concern, press India to halt human rights violations, allow international observers, and facilitate a free and impartial plebiscite.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed similar sentiments, calling the Jammu and Kashmir dispute one of the oldest unresolved issues on the UN agenda. He said multiple Security Council resolutions recognize the disputed status of the territory and mandate that its future be decided according to the will of the Kashmiri people.

Sharif accused India of maintaining heavy militarization and suppressing political activity and media freedoms in the region. He described the 2019 constitutional changes as “illegal and unilateral,” arguing they contravene international law and cannot diminish the rights of Kashmiris.

“As Prime Minister, I reassure my Kashmiri brothers and sisters that Pakistan will continue to extend complete moral, diplomatic, and political support to their freedom struggle,” he said, expressing hope that Kashmiris would ultimately secure their rights through a UN-backed plebiscite.

Separately, Pakistan’s armed forces leadership, including Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, condemned what they termed “grave violations of human rights” in IIOJK, citing extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and alleged demographic changes.

The military leadership stressed that a just and peaceful resolution of the dispute in line with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people remains essential for lasting peace in South Asia, and called on the international community to take “concrete and meaningful action.”