Unlawful occupation of Jammu & Kashmir: Pakistanis, Kashmiris observe Black Day today

ISLAMABAD: People of Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and rest of the world will observe Black Day today (Tuesday) to mark strong protest against unlawful occupation of Jammu and Kashmir for the last 73 years.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in his message on theKashmir Black Day said: “We are observing this day to condemn Indian illegal occupation and to reiterate our unwavering support to the Kashmiri people.”

“The Kashmir Black Day represents a dark chapter in the human history when, 73 years ago, Indian forces landed in Srinagar to forcibly occupy the territory and subjugate people of Jammu and Kashmir. The illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir by India represents an international dispute, the solution of which is firmly anchored in the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions in accordance with the UN charter,” he said.

The premier said, “for its part, Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kashmiri people and extend all possible support to them until they realise their legitimate right to self-determination”.

“Despite unabated Indian atrocities for more than seven decades posing an existential threat, India is unable to break the will of the Kashmiri people. International community bears witness that Indian state-terrorism, extra-judicial killing of innocent Kashmiris, unprecedented restrictions in freedom of speech, fake encounters, cordon-and-search operations, custodial torture and deaths, enforced disappearances, incarceration of Kashmiri leadership and youth, use of pellet guns, destruction and burning of houses to inflict ‘collective punishment’ on the Kashmiris communities and other methods of subjugation have failed to shake the resolve of the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination,” he noted.

He emphasised that India’s unilateral actions, military siege and communication blockade accompanied by illegal measures to bring about demographic change in IIOJK since August 5, 2019, expose yet another dimension of RSS-inspired ‘Hindutva’ ideology. The dangerous mix of extremist ideology (Hindutva) and hegemonic designs (Akhand Bharat) is imperiling regional peace and stability. The international legitimacy of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute he contended is enshrined in the UNSC resolutions, which are binding. It is collective responsibility of all member states to ensure compliance by India of its international obligations. Pakistan urges the international community to take practical steps to stop India from using state terrorism as a tool to destabilise the region and to work for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people. This is the only way for durable peace and ensuring stability in South Asia.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz, in his message, urged the United Nations (UN) and civilised world to take practical steps for providing the Kashmiris their legitimate and democratic right to self-determination.

“Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory. Its solution depends on giving right-to-vote to the Kashmiris as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” he said.

Terming the October 27 as the darkest day of the history, he said, on that day, India illegally occupied the Muslim-Majority Jammu and Kashmir against the aspirations of brave Kashmiris and in a violation of the international laws. On that day, the India trampled their right to freedom and subjugated them by landing its forces in the IIOJK, he added.

The minister said the valiant Kashmiris had been struggling for their right to self-determination for the last seven decades amid Indian oppression and state terrorism. Shibli Faraz said India, on August 5 last year, took illegal and unilateral actions to bring the disputed territory under its control by changing its special status, ridiculing the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir, international laws and bilateral agreements as well.

He said after August 5, the fascist and extremist Modi led government intensified its tyrannical actions in the IIOJK and imposed a strict curfew, spanning over one year, in the illegally occupied territory which disconnected the Kashmiris from rest of the world.

The minister said the entire valley had been turned into a prison as there was a complete communication blackout and shortage of food and medicines. Infants and youngsters were suffering from hardships of the illegal detention. He said that human rights situation in Kashmir was being trampled by the Indian forces, youth was subjected to inhuman torture, extra-judicial killings had gone up significantly and Kashmiri leadership had been pushed to the wall.

Shibli Faraz said India should know that its oppression and brutalities could not stop Kashmiris from achieving their right to self-determination. He said Prime Minster Imran Khan had two times pleaded the case of innocent Kashmiris at the one of major international platform (UN) in befitting manner and advocated for their legitimate right.

The minister reiterated that his country would continue to extend diplomatic, moral and legal support to the people of Kashmir until they see the dawn of freedom. Pakistan would also continue to raise voice for protection of their rights, besides exposing Indian human rights violations in the IIOJK at every key forum, he added. Meanwhile, special programmes and rallies will be organised in the federal capital and other parts of the country and Azad Kashmir to mark the day.