Islamabad, January 5, 2026: Pakistan’s top leaders have once again raised India-focused statements regarding the Kashmir issue, emphasizing that lasting peace in South Asia is impossible without resolving the decades-old territorial dispute. On the occasion of the so-called “Kashmir Self-Determination Day,” Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged that the people of Kashmir should be allowed to determine their future through a plebiscite.
Prime Minister Sharif directly attributed the persistent tension between India and Pakistan to the Kashmir dispute. Speaking to Pakistani media, he highlighted the United Nations Security Council resolutions of January 5, 1949, which he said call for a referendum to allow Kashmiris to exercise self-determination. According to Sharif, implementation of these resolutions is the only path to sustainable peace in South Asia.
Zardari Raises Water Treaty Concerns
President Zardari also criticized India over the Indus Water Treaty, alleging that India’s increased control over rivers flowing from Jammu and Kashmir constitutes a violation of international obligations. He described the unilateral suspension of treaty provisions as a dangerous attempt to weaponize water, threatening livelihoods, food security, and regional stability. Zardari urged the international community to pressure India to address these concerns.
Bilawal Bhutto Joins the Chorus
Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also weighed in, asserting that India is violating human rights in Kashmir and denying the population basic freedoms. He stressed that resolving the Kashmir dispute requires listening to the people rather than relying on force, warning that sustainable peace in Asia is unattainable without a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. Bilawal called on the global community to pay attention and take action.