Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the Kashmir cause, saying attempts by individuals with “sinister agendas” to distort his remarks on the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) would not weaken the historic bond between Pakistan and Kashmir.
In a statement posted on X, Khawaja Asif said his comments regarding the crisis in AJK were “frank and honest,” adding that no one could separate Kashmir from Pakistan or Pakistan from Kashmir.
The defence minister said the sacrifices of Kashmiris who migrated to Pakistan in October 1947 remain an important part of history, while the struggle of people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) against Indian rule has been marked by decades of martyrdom and imprisonment.
My remarks about the crisis in AJK were frank and honest, Alhamdolillah. Those who have sinister agendas may try to twist them but they cannot take Kashmir out of me or out from Pakistan or take Pakistan out of Kashmir.
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 23, 2026
The sacrifices of Kashmiris who crossed over into Pakistan…
He said Pakistan’s commitment to the Kashmir cause was reflected in the sacrifices made during five wars and in its continued support for the right to self-determination and a plebiscite in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
Khawaja Asif said that, in this context, voices emerging from AJK that were allegedly driven by external agendas and directed against Pakistan and the Kashmir cause should be countered strongly.
He stressed that Kashmiris living in AJK should recognize the sacrifices made by migrants who moved to Pakistan during and after 1947, as well as those who continue to face hardships in IIOJK.
The minister noted that the people of AJK have lived in peace for decades under the protection of security forces drawn from across Pakistan, including personnel from AJK itself.
He argued that diminishing the sacrifices made by Kashmiris and Pakistanis undermines the broader Kashmir cause.
“Kashmiriat is defined by the sacrifices and struggles waged over nearly eight decades by Pakistanis, including Kashmiris and others, and not by birth certificates,” Khawaja Asif said.