Pakistan gearing up for massive pro-Kashmir campaign on Aug 5

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday unveiled an aggressive action plan to observe the first anniversary of India’s illegal scrapping of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, which involves worldwide rallies, solidarity marches, the renaming of an inter-provincial highway, special postal stamps and a parliamentary session.

Describing the whole chart of activities planned for the day at a media briefing here, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said as the whole Kashmiri leadership is under detention, Pakistan will forcefully raise its voice globally until the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir get their right of self-determination.

He said the Yaum-e-Istihsal would be observed on August 5 to highlight the illegal Indian action on August 5, 2019 of changing the special constitutional status of held Kashmir by holding solidarity walks throughout the country which will be joined by the top political leadership.

Also present in the media briefing were Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf and information minister Shibli Faraz.Qureshi said President Arif Alvi would lead a walk in Islamabad to be followed by his media interaction to highlight the Kashmiris’ cause.

Qureshi said the government has decided to rename the Kashmir Highway, which connects the federal capital with Kashmir and other provinces, after Srinagar. “We are looking at Srinagar. That is our destination,” he added.

He said parliamentarians and the foreign media would be taken to the Line of Control (LoC) to engage them with the residents there, who had long been suffering the unprovoked firing by the Indian troops in violation of the ceasefire.

The foreign minister said a special postal stamp will be issued on the day to highlight Indian aggression and human rights abuses, depicting a minor sitting over the body of his slain grandfather who was killed by the Indian troops in Sopore early July.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has pledged to play the role of Kashmir’s ambassador, will address the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) after a solidarity walk, which will be joined by AJK President and Prime Minister in Muzaffarabad.

In addition to solidarity walks across the country, a one-minute silence will also be observed at 10am after blaring of sirens, he added. The foreign minister said the government will enhance its diplomatic outreach on the day by writing letters to the United Nations Secretary General and world leaders, as well as interactions of the Prime Minister and himself with the international media.

Publication of special op-eds in the foreign media, special campaigns through print, electronic and especially social media, and presentation of a memo to the UN representative had also been planned, he added. Moeed Yusuf invited the local and international media to an event on the night falling between August 4-5 at Parliament House planned for projecting the sufferings of Kashmiri people at the hand of Modi regime.

More major decisions would be revealed by the Prime Minister and Qureshi on August 4.