Bilawal Bhutto: Anti-Army Remarks Will Not Be Tolerated Anywhere in Pakistan, Including Kashmir
Muzaffarabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the Pakistan Armed Forces are the nation’s “red line” and that anti-military remarks from any part of the country, including Kashmir, will not be tolerated.
Addressing PPP Azad Kashmir office-bearers and party workers in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal stated that the armed forces hold a sacred position in the country’s defense and national unity.
“If anyone uses inappropriate language against the people of Kashmir, it breaks our hearts, and similarly, we cannot tolerate any remarks against our armed forces,” he said. “The Pakistan Armed Forces, which defended the country and defeated India during last year’s conflict, are our red line.”
Bilawal emphasized that the Pakistan Peoples Party has always advocated for the rights of the people, while criticizing political forces that, in his view, seek to undermine those rights. He reiterated that peaceful protest is a democratic right but made it clear that violent demonstrations and protests are unacceptable.
Speaking on the Kashmir issue, he said that the future of Kashmir must be determined by the people of Kashmir themselves. However, he stressed that constitutional changes cannot be imposed through armed force or sit-ins.
“The decision regarding Kashmir belongs to the people of Kashmir, but no constitutional amendment can be brought about at gunpoint or through protest camps,” he remarked.
Bilawal warned that instability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir could harm the Kashmir cause and called for wisdom and restraint in addressing the current political situation. He also blamed statements made by federal ministers for contributing to the present crisis and urged the federal government to play its role in resolving it.
He said that no individual sitting in Islamabad should have the authority to decide who is or is not a Kashmiri and stressed that the ongoing issues cannot be resolved through the use of force.
“If the people of Kashmir shed sweat, we are prepared to shed blood alongside them,” he declared, expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
Appealing to protesters, Bilawal requested that sit-ins and demonstrations be called off peacefully. He reiterated that while peaceful protest is a constitutional right, violent political movements have no place in Kashmir.
He further stated that he would never want the kind of violent politics witnessed in Karachi in the past to take root in Kashmir and called for a peaceful and constitutional resolution of all political disputes in the region.
Concluding his address, Bilawal said that no force can bring the state to its knees and praised the role of Pakistan’s military leadership in maintaining peace and stability.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is currently in Muzaffarabad as part of the Pakistan Peoples Party’s election campaign for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where he was received by Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Faisal Rathore and other party leaders.
