RAWALPINDI: A video of Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif’s address to university students in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has gone viral on social media.
The session, held on 15th September in Pallandri tehsil of AJK, gathered over 1,000 students and faculty members from different universities. During the extensive question-and-answer session, the army spokesperson responded to queries about governance, protests, and Kashmir’s future.
Addressing a question on political unrest linked to the Awami Action Committee, Lt Gen Sharif remarked that Azad Kashmir already has a functioning political system. He noted that progress in education, healthcare and infrastructure indicators across the region was evident. Stressing the role of state revenue, he said, “If the state does not collect taxes, then how will it provide salaries and benefits?” He added that more than 30% of Azad Kashmir’s population is employed in government service.
The DG ISPR underlined that peaceful protest is a democratic right, but warned that creating disorder damages the economy. He reminded students that Kashmir has been blessed with immense natural resources and potential. Citing history, he recalled that the person [Allama Muhammad Iqbal] who envisioned Pakistan also hailed from Kashmir.
Lt Gen Sharif said many officers and soldiers in the Pakistan Army are from Kashmir, underscoring the region’s integral place in the country’s identity. He reiterated the slogan often associated with the Kashmir cause, saying that the region’s future lies in “Kashmir banay ga Pakistan” (Kashmir will become Pakistan).
