ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has paid rich tribute to the 22 Kashmiri martyrs who laid down their lives on July 13, 1931, outside Srinagar Central Jail while resisting oppression and fighting for their right to freedom.
In a statement issued by the Aiwan-e-Sadr on the occasion of Kashmir Martyrs’ Day, President Zardari said the supreme sacrifice of these martyrs lit the flame of freedom in the hearts of Kashmiris, a flame that continues to burn brightly even today.
He said that the ongoing struggle of the Kashmiri people is a continuation of the sacrifices of these 22 martyrs.
President Zardari praised the courage, determination, and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people who have stood firm for decades against Indian occupation and continue their struggle for freedom.
He said that India has turned the illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir into a military prison where extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, political detentions, demographic changes, and systematic attempts to erase Muslim identity are ongoing.
The President urged the international community and human rights organizations to take urgent notice of India’s state terrorism and grave human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
He reaffirmed that Pakistan will continue to extend political, moral, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve their right to self-determination in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
