The 78th Kashmir Accession Day (Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan) was observed across Pakistan on Sunday to commemorate the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference on July 19, 1947, calling for the accession of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan.
The day was marked across Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and by the Kashmiri diaspora, with participants reaffirming their support for the 1947 resolution.
A range of events, including public rallies, seminars, conferences and gatherings, were organised to mark the occasion.
Cities and towns were decorated with Pakistani and Kashmiri flags, while political parties, civil society organisations and student groups held programmes reiterating their commitment to the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
In separate messages, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and urged the international community and the United Nations to play a more active role in implementing the relevant UN resolutions.
The country’s top leadership said the day reflected the historic aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position on the dispute.
President Zardari said Pakistan had “consistently advocated a peaceful and just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”