The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, unanimously adopted a resolution paying tribute to Pakistan’s military and political leadership for their role in promoting Middle East peace. The cabinet commended President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their diplomatic efforts.
The cabinet described the top leadership’s proactive role as enhancing Pakistan’s global stature and a source of pride for the people of Pakistan and AJK. It termed last year’s Pahalgam incident a “false flag operation,” orchestrated by India to advance political and military objectives, expressing concern that it was part of a broader strategy aimed at justifying continued repression and military actions in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
The cabinet strongly condemned ongoing human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests. It maintained that such actions constituted violations of international law and fundamental human rights principles, calling for independent, impartial, and transparent international investigations into alleged incidents, including Pahalgam.
The cabinet urged the international community, particularly the United Nations (UN), to take notice of the situation and play a role in ensuring the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions. It reaffirmed that the Kashmir dispute remained an internationally recognized issue to be resolved through peaceful means and in line with relevant UN resolutions.
In separate resolutions, the cabinet condemned atrocities by Indian forces in the region and expressed concern over the re-arrest of Hurriyat leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah despite bail granted by the Indian Supreme Court. It also criticized the life imprisonment sentence awarded to Asiya Andrabi and her associates, terming it a “miscarriage of justice.”
The cabinet called for the immediate release of detained leaders, including Masarat Alam Bhat, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Yasin Malik, and Asiya Andrabi, as well as other prisoners held in various jails, including Tihar Jail.