A special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly (LA) was held here on Thursday on the eve of Kashmir Solidarity Day, presided over by Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif delivered a special address to the assembly, while Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Faisal Mumtaz Rathore also spoke on the occasion.
The proceedings were witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Planning and Development Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, along with a delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by its Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi.
At the outset, Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan for visiting on Kashmir Solidarity Day, stating that his presence had boosted the morale of Kashmiris engaged in the freedom struggle across the Line of Control.
He said the Kashmir issue remained the unfinished agenda of Partition of subcontinent and accused India of continuously violating United Nations resolutions on Kashmir. Referring to August 5, 2019, he said India had unilaterally revoked the special status of occupied Kashmir and declared it a Union Territory, after which the people were effectively besieged.
The Speaker said more than 900,000 Indian troops were committing extreme atrocities in occupied Kashmir, but despite this, the hearts of Kashmiris beat with Pakistan, which they see as the center of their hopes and aspirations. He expressed confidence that the day was not far when the entire Kashmir would be liberated and accede to Pakistan.
He noted that the Hurriyat leadership was imprisoned, with Shabbir Ahmad Shah jailed for the past 38 years, while reports were emerging about the possible awarding of a death sentence to Yasin Malik. He also recalled the execution of Afzal Guru and said that recently, on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat, Indian authorities had locked mosques in occupied Kashmir.
Chaudhry Latif Akbar said that following the success of “Bunyan-um-Marsoos,” Pakistan’s stature had further risen globally, crediting Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for this achievement. He said India had been isolated internationally for the first time and urged the Prime Minister to once again raise the voice of Kashmiris forcefully at the global level.
He alleged that after its defeat on May 9 and 10, India was now involved in promoting terrorism inside Pakistan, expressing confidence that under the leadership of the Prime Minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, such efforts would also be defeated.
Addressing the session, Leader of the House and Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Faisal Mumtaz Rathore thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for visiting Muzaffarabad and addressing the special assembly session on Kashmir Solidarity Day.
He said that the Prime Minister’s third visit to Azad Kashmir, within two and a half months of the formation of the current AJK government, reflected his deep affection for the Kashmiri people.
He said that India had deployed 900,000 troops in occupied Kashmir and imposed a brutal occupation, but had failed to control the thoughts and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He asserted that the destination of Kashmiris was Pakistan and no power in the world could separate them from it. He said that on Kashmir Solidarity Day, the people of Pakistan were forming human chains at all entry points to express solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren.
Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said that the presence of the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the military leadership in Muzaffarabad on this occasion was proof of the importance of Kashmir to Pakistan. He paid tribute to the martyrs of the Kashmir freedom movement and to the soldiers of the Pakistan Army who laid down their lives defending the Line of Control, stating that the sacrifices would continue until the success of the Kashmir freedom struggle.
He recalled that Kashmir Solidarity Day was first initiated by Qazi Hussain Ahmad and later officially observed under the leadership of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, paying tribute to both leaders. He said that Kashmiris had decided to accede to Pakistan even before the creation of Pakistan, noting that the resolution for accession was passed at the Srinagar residence of Sardar Ibrahim Khan, the grandfather of Assembly Member Hassan Ibrahim.
He also mentioned the role of veteran Kashmiri leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, who consistently raised the slogan of accession to Pakistan.
The AJK Prime Minister said that the slogan of accession to Pakistan was a legacy for which Kashmiris were sacrificing their honor and dignity. He added that the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir was based on the Kalima, which surpassed all other relationships.
He appreciated the role of Pakistan’s political leadership, across party lines, in addressing Kashmiri issues and thanked the Prime Minister for initiatives such as the establishment of Danish schools.
Highlighting challenges, he said that some schools affected by the 2005 earthquake were still without proper roofs, forcing children to study in harsh conditions. He appealed for Rs 5 billion in the 2025-26 federal budget for the reconstruction of these schools.
He thanked the Prime Minister for providing resources to Azad Kashmir and noted that all political parties in AJK had always welcomed visiting Pakistani prime ministers without discrimination, calling it proof of Kashmiris’ attachment to Pakistan.
He expressed hope that the day would soon come when Kashmiris would achieve the objective for which they had made immense sacrifices. He said India’s true face had been exposed to the world, as it had turned occupied Kashmir into a prison, while Pakistan had consistently stood by the Kashmiris in every difficult time.
He concluded by saying that Kashmiris reaffirmed their resolve that no power could weaken or break their bond with Pakistan, adding that the movement for the completion of Kashmir was, in fact, the movement for the completion of Pakistan.