President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday emphasised the need to renew the collective resolve to make Gilgit-Baltistan a model of development, justice, and equality.

Addressing a ceremony marking the 78th Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan from Dogra rule in Gilgit, the president said that over the past seven decades, the people of the region had marched shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Pakistan.

“You have guarded the borders, advanced progress, and carried Pakistan’s flag to the world’s highest peaks. This region is not only the crown of Pakistan but also our northern gateway — a symbol of our enduring friendship with China,” he remarked.

The president said the Karakoram Highway stood as a living monument to this partnership, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) had brought new opportunities for livelihood, trade, and connectivity to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

He further stressed that it should be their shared responsibility to ensure that the benefits of development reached every valley and village, creating prosperity for all.

President Zardari noted that the region offered the best of its potential not only to Pakistan but to the entire world.

He said that the freedom of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan was also a reminder of the unfinished struggle of their brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“While you enjoy liberty and rights under the flag of Pakistan, they continue to face occupation and repression. We stand with them until they achieve freedom in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and their own aspirations,” the president affirmed.

The event was attended by the governor, chief minister, members of the legislative assembly, military and civil officials, and a large number of citizens.

President Zardari expressed his delight at the affection and warmth shown by the gathering, saying that the region felt like home to him.

He said the history of the region had been marked with incidents of unforgettable bravery and sacrifices.

He said the history of Gilgit-Baltistan was marked by unforgettable acts of bravery and sacrifice and noted that successive PPP governments had always prioritised the progress and prosperity of the region.