President Asif Ali Zardari has paid tribute to the innocent Kashmiri Muslims massacred in Jammu in November 1947.

In his message on Jammu Martyrs' Day, he said we stand in solidarity with the families whose lives were shattered by violence and displacement.

The President said seventy-nine years ago, on this day, forces of the Dogra ruler, aided by extremist militias, carried out a systematic campaign of violence against Jammu's Muslim population.

Thousands of men, women and children lost their lives, while countless others were forced to abandon their homes and ancestral lands. These atrocities altered the demographic composition of Jammu and left wounds that endure across generations. He said that the tragedy of 6 November 1947 must never be forgotten.

He alluded the recent reports of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, documenting arbitrary detentions, restrictions on peaceful dissent, punitive house demolitions and suppression of media freedom in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

UN human rights experts have also expressed alarm over reports of torture, custodial deaths and collective punishment. The use of sweeping security laws to silence journalists, human rights defenders and peaceful political voices demands international attention.

Asif Ali Zardari said we are deeply alarmed by the promotion of hatred against Muslims, other religious minorities and hostility towards Pakistan by right-wing political figures and extremist groups that enjoy state patronage in India.

Such rhetoric, particularly in the aftermath of India's humiliating military setback in May 2025, risks fuelling persecution at home and dangerous adventurism abroad.

He said the concerns raised by international human rights organisations and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination must be addressed through accountability and protection for vulnerable communities.

The President said the memory of the Jammu martyrs places a responsibility upon us all: to resist hatred, defend human dignity and ensure that no people are denied their rights through violence, discrimination or fear.

He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to remember the victims of the Jammu massacre and act upon the concerns raised by independent human rights organisations and UN human rights mechanisms.

He stressed India to release all those arbitrarily detained, protect journalists and human rights defenders, end punitive demolitions and collective punishment, and ensure independent investigations into alleged human rights violations. It must also provide unhindered access to international human rights observers and cooperate fully with relevant UN mechanisms. Counter-terrorism narrative used by India cannot justify violations of fundamental rights or the punishment of entire families and communities.

The President said Pakistan remains steadfast in its principled position on Jammu and Kashmir.

Asif Ali Zardari said we will continue to raise this unresolved dispute at every relevant international forum and extend our moral, political and diplomatic support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they are able to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.