ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday paid tribute to the people of Kashmir and Pakistan for their sacrifices for the Kashmir cause, saying that no individual had the right to undermine the freedom struggle or speak against Pakistan’s integrity.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif said the people of Kashmir had rendered immense sacrifices since 1947.
He recalled that thousands of Kashmiris migrated during the partition period, enduring tremendous hardships, loss of life, and displacement, while many families remained separated and unaccounted for to this day.
He said the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had continued their struggle for the past 78 years, offering countless sacrifices and martyrdoms to express their commitment and affection for Pakistan.
He maintained that the Kashmiri identity and struggle were rooted in sacrifice, migration, and a long history of resistance.
Khawaja Asif said freedom could not be fully understood by those who had not endured sacrifices for it, adding that the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir was based on shared struggles and mutual commitment.
The defence minister said that personnel from all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, continued to guard the Line of Control in support of the Kashmiri people.
Khawaja Asif said that Kashmiris are not made by birth certificates; they are made by sacrifices. He said that Pakistan had fought five wars over Kashmir and argued that criticism of Pakistan despite those sacrifices was unjustified.