By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
Houston: A formal ceremony marking Kashmir Solidarity Day was held at the Pakistani Consulate in Houston, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for th
e Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination.
The event was attended by Pakistan’s Consul General in Houston, Aftab Chaudhry, Chairperson of Friends of Kashmir Ghazala Habib, Sikh American community leader Dr. Hardam Singh Azad, along with community leaders and social figures from across the region.
At the outset of the ceremony, special messages from Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar were read aloud. The messages reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for the Kashmiri p
eople’s right to self-determination and emphasized the need for a resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
Addressing the gathering, Consul General Aftab Chaudhry said Pakistan would continue to provide moral, political, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people at every level. He added that serious human rights violations in Indian administered Kashmir require the urgent attention of the international community.
Vice Consul Ashar Shehzad, speaking at the event, said that Kashmir is not merely a regional dispute but a matter of global conscience. He stressed that the Kashmiri people are not alone in their struggle for self determination and that Pakistan, along with justice-minded individuals around
the world, stands firmly with them.
Ghazala Habib, chairperson of Friends of Kashmir, paid tribu
te to the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people through her revolutionary poetry. She said the continued, unconditional support of Pakistan’s public, armed forces, and government for the Kashmir cause is clear evidence that the nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri people.
Dr. Hardam Singh Azad, a leader of the Sikh American community, expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people, stating that Sikh communities around the world stand united with Kashmiris in their struggle and strongly condemn human rights abuses in the region.
The ceremony also featured the screening of a documentary highlighting alleged human rights violations, military aggression, and what organizers described as India’s illegal control of the region. Attendees watched the film with close attention.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment to conti
nue diplomatic and public advocacy efforts to amplify the voices of the Kashmiri people on international forums.
