ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday that durable peace in South Asia will be impossible to achieve unless the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan is resolved, urging the international community to stop India from its alleged human rights violations in the territory.
Pakistan marks Feb. 5 every year as Kashmir Solidarity Day to support the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir. The Himalayan territory has remained contested between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, with both claiming it in full but administering only parts of it. Various groups across Pakistan mark the day with rallies and hold seminars on Feb. 5, which is a public holiday, to express their solidarity with the people of Kashmir.
The two countries have fought two out of three wars since 1947 over the disputed territory. On Aug. 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir that it administers, stripping it of the limited autonomy it enjoyed. The development was followed by Pakistan’s decision to downgrade its diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
"The dangerous military escalation initiated by India in May 2025 serves as a stark reminder that true and durable peace in South Asia remains impossible unless the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is resolved," Zardari was quoted as saying by his office.
