MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan would respond to India ‘in the same language it chooses,’ reiterating strong support for the Kashmiri people.
Addressing a session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, the prime minister expressed grief over the death of former AJK president Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry and offered prayers for the departed soul.
Paying tribute to Kashmiri leaders and martyrs, PM Shehbaz said Kashmiris had made immense sacrifices and would never compromise on their right to freedom. He recalled that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had termed Kashmir Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” describing the Kashmir cause as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
The prime minister said a durable solution to the Kashmir dispute was only possible in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. He vowed that Pakistan would continue its moral, political and diplomatic support until Kashmiris were granted their right to self-determination.
PM Shehbaz claimed that India had suffered a humiliating defeat during “Maarka-e-Haq,” adding that India was now promoting terrorism in Pakistan through proxies. He said India’s narrative had collapsed on both military and diplomatic fronts, while Pakistan had achieved notable successes at the international level by highlighting the Kashmir issue globally.
He further said lasting peace in the region could not be achieved unless India abandoned its aggressive and expansionist policies. Pakistan, he added, desired peace but only on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
The prime minister also announced an increase in the monthly stipend for Kashmiri refugees from Rs3,500 to Rs6,000. He said a sub-campus of Daanish University would be established in Muzaffarabad to provide technical education to Kashmiri youth, while a “Khidmat Centre” similar to Islamabad’s would also be set up in the city.
Additionally, PM Shehbaz announced Rs1 billion in funding for the construction and repair of school roofs in Azad Kashmir. He said 2,096 laptops had already been distributed among Kashmiri students this year, with another 1,700 laptops to be provided soon. He added that the Education Benevolent Fund would enable Kashmiri students to study at leading universities around the world.
Addressing the assembly, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said Indian forces could not suppress the will of the Kashmiri people, despite the heavy military presence in the region. He thanked PM Shehbaz for his continued visits and support for development projects in Azad Kashmir.
AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar said the Kashmir dispute remained an unfinished agenda of the United Nations, stressing that India’s unilateral actions to revoke Kashmir’s special status were unacceptable and in violation of UN resolutions.