Pakistan urges peaceful Kashmir settlement on Black Day

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have renewed Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for Kashmiris, calling for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Their separate messages were issued as Kashmir Black Day was observed on Tuesday, October 27.

Both leaders said the dispute should be resolved in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. They argued that a durable settlement remains essential for peace, security and prosperity across South Asia.

President Zardari urged the international community, particularly the United Nations and international human rights organisations, to examine the rights situation in Indian-administered Kashmir and support measures protecting its residents’ fundamental freedoms. He said Pakistan would continue presenting the Kashmiris’ position at international forums.

The president described October 27, 1947, when Indian forces landed in Srinagar, as the beginning of a prolonged and painful chapter for the region. He paid tribute to successive generations of Kashmiris and said their pursuit of dignity, justice and self-determination had continued despite decades of conflict and restrictions.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said lasting stability in South Asia could not be achieved without a just resolution of the dispute. He reaffirmed Islamabad’s established position and expressed concern about restrictions on political expression and the prolonged detention of Kashmiri political leaders, activists and human rights defenders.

The prime minister also referred to India’s constitutional measures of August 5, 2019, which removed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and reorganised the territory. Pakistan rejects those changes and maintains that actions affecting the territory’s political, legal or demographic character should be addressed under international law and applicable UN resolutions.

Kashmir Black Day is observed by Pakistan every year on October 27 to mark the anniversary of the arrival of Indian forces in Srinagar in 1947. The observance includes official messages, public gatherings and diplomatic appeals intended to draw international attention to the unresolved dispute and the experiences of Kashmiris.

The dispute has remained one of the central sources of tension between Pakistan and India for nearly eight decades. Islamabad supports a settlement reflecting the wishes of the Kashmiri people, while New Delhi regards Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. The two nuclear-armed neighbours have repeatedly faced military and diplomatic crises connected with the region.

Pakistan’s latest statements signal that it will continue raising Kashmir through diplomatic channels rather than altering its longstanding policy. Any substantive progress, however, would require sustained international engagement, protection of fundamental rights and renewed political dialogue involving the parties directly affected by the dispute.