Islamabad – Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has appealed to the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to remain peaceful, stressing that three generations in Indian-occupied Kashmir have been engaged in the struggle for freedom under much harsher circumstances than those faced by AJK residents.
In a statement posted on his account on X, the minister urged protestors to reflect on the sacrifices made by Kashmiris across the Line of Control. “The people of occupied Kashmir are writing their history of freedom with their blood. One generation has grown old in prisons, many have been executed, countless have taken bullets to their chests, and they continue to pay the price of their love for Pakistan every day,” he said.
Highlighting Pakistan’s own sacrifices, Khawaja Asif noted that soldiers from all communities, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Baloch, Sindhis, Gilgitis, and Baltis, have laid down their lives in Kashmir wars. “Pakistan has always risked its existence for the freedom of Kashmir and will continue to do so, because it is part of our faith,” he added.
The minister also recalled the suffering of Kashmiri refugees who crossed the Jammu-Sialkot border in October 1947. According to him, nearly 100,000 Kashmiri Muslims were killed during that migration, while thousands of women were subjected to violence and abduction. He pointed out that many families in camps at Bajwat, Haji Pura, and Paka Garha still carry the scars of those sacrifices.
Khawaja Asif emphasized that his own constituency, Sialkot, is home to a large number of Kashmiri refugees who have endured immense hardship for their attachment to Pakistan. Reiterating his call, he urged the people of AJK to uphold peace and remember the sacrifices of their brethren in occupied Kashmir.
