
Resolution of Kashmir issue guarantee of peace: PM
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Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council is the only guarantee of the rights of the Kashmiris and peace in the region.
In a message on the occasion of Kashmir Accession Day, he said the government and people of Pakistan will continue to extend diplomatic, moral and political support to the Kashmiris.
"Kashmir Accession Day is celebrated every year on July 19 in memory of the Srinagar session of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in 1947," he noted.
He said, "On that day, the brave people of Kashmir passed a resolution to accede to Pakistan for the state of Jammu and Kashmir."
He said, "The story of the unending sacrifices of Kashmiris that began in 1947 is not only continuing today, but the brutality and oppression of one million Indian troops have failed to break the resolve of Kashmiris and with the passage of time, the spirit of freedom of Kashmiris has strengthened."
"Today, like their ancestors the third generation of Kashmiris is also determined to achieve their right to self-determination," he remarked.
The prime minister said, "The decades-long struggle of the brave Kashmiris against illegal occupation shows their patriotism and genuine desire for freedom."
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