With Pakistan’s economy at its weakest in years—burdened by a record $26.7 billion in new foreign loans in the last fiscal cycle and total public debt soaring past Rs76 trillion—government rhetoric over Kashmir is once again dominating official discourse. In the past three days, as international aid and diplomatic rollovers keep the state financially afloat and debt servicing consumes nearly half the federal budget, leaders in Islamabad have repeatedly spotlighted India’s 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as a core source of regional tension. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials continue to call for UN involvement and adherence to Security Council resolutions, while simultaneously warning of military readiness against perceived Indian aggression. Analysts note that this surge in Kashmir-focused statements coincides with intense domestic frustration over high inflation and depleted public services, as well as renewed missile exchanges earlier this year. By centering the Kashmir dispute in national dialogue, Pakistan’s leadership appears to be seeking to unite a restive public and shift attention from economic hardship toward a long-standing external issue, even as its financial crisis deepens and dependency on foreign aid tightens.