Islamabad, January 4, 2026: Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Saturday said that granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir their fundamental and inalienable right to self-determination remains a moral and legal obligation of the international community, as Pakistan observed Right to Self-Determination Day.
In his message on the occasion, the Speaker described the Kashmir dispute as the unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent, stressing that its just and durable resolution in accordance with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions is essential for lasting peace in South Asia.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq noted that for more than seven decades, the people of Kashmir have continued their struggle for self-determination in line with UN resolutions, but justice has yet to be delivered. He recalled that on January 5, 1949, the UN Security Council adopted a historic resolution granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to decide their future through a free and impartial plebiscite, which, he said, remains unimplemented to this day.
The Speaker strongly condemned what he termed India’s continued violations of UNSC resolutions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling them a serious test of the conscience of the international community. He denounced alleged grave and systematic human rights violations in the occupied territory, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, and attempts to alter the demographic structure of the region, terming these actions clear violations of international law and universally accepted human values.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said Islamabad would continue to extend moral, political, and diplomatic support to the just struggle of the Kashmiri people. He reiterated that Pakistan would remain the voice of Kashmiris at regional and international forums and would continue to advocate their right to self-determination. He urged the international community to take immediate notice of the ongoing human rights situation in occupied Kashmir and to take concrete steps to ensure the implementation of UNSC resolutions.
Expressing optimism, the Speaker said Pakistan would never abandon the Kashmiri people and would not allow their sacrifices to go in vain, adding that the day was not far when Kashmiris would achieve their right to freedom.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, in his message, said that the freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people stands as a powerful example of sacrifice, perseverance, and resilience, deserving recognition at the global level. He emphasized that a just resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN resolutions is vital for sustainable peace and stability in South Asia.
The Deputy Speaker reaffirmed that the Parliament of Pakistan stands in complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people and remains fully committed to safeguarding their political, diplomatic, and moral rights. He also extended his best wishes to the people of Kashmir for freedom, peace, and a prosperous future.
