Kashmir Black Day was observed to condemn 75 years of Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirm Pakistan’s unflinching commitment to the Kashmir cause.

According to Foreign Office of Pakistan, a wide range of activities, including seminars, webinars, panel discussions and photo exhibitions were organized throughout the country, and at Pakistan’s diplomatic missions around the world, to highlight the plight of the innocent Kashmiri people and draw global attention to the brutality and highhandedness of Indian occupation forces over the last 75 years.

The President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, in their special messages on the occasion, underscored Pakistan’s consistent resolve to support the Kashmiri people and called upon the international community to play its due role in urging upon India to end its illegal occupation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, halt the massive human rights violations and cease repressive measures against the Kashmiris.

The Foreign Minister addressed letters to President UN General Assembly, President UN Security Council, UN Secretary General, Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights and OIC Secretary General to apprise them of the grave situation in the IIOJK.

The Foreign Minister regretted India’s continued denial of the right of self-determination to the people of IIOJK for more than seven decades.

A special Kashmir Solidarity Walk was initiated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upto D-Chowk, which was led by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar. All officers and staff of the Foreign Office participated in the walk to express their solidarity for the Kashmir cause.

Prior to the Walk, a commemorative ceremony was held at the Foreign Office in which the MoS Khar highlighted the importance of the Kashmir Black Day. She also planted a Chinar sapling to honor the sacrifices of generations of Kashmiris.

The Foreign Secretary held special briefings at the Foreign Office for resident Ambassadors of OIC, P-5 and European countries and briefed them on the egregious human rights situation in IIOJK as well as India’s continued efforts to deny the Kashmiris their inalienable right to self-determination. A short movie on ‘Indian atrocities in IIOJK’ was also screened for diplomats.

The entire spectrum of activities was aimed at reminding the world of India’s nefarious designs behind its illegal and unilateral measures instituted on 5thAugust, 2019 that stripped IIOJK of its special status, and the subsequent series of reprehensible measures seeking to alter the demographics of the occupied territory, in utter defiance of international law, including UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions and the 4th Geneva Convention.

India forcibly landed its troops seventy-five years ago on 27th October 1947 in the IIOJK and continues to illegally occupy the territory ever since. In these 75 years, India has resorted to widespread and systematic human rights violations, unleashed the worst form of state-terrorism and used inhuman methods to crush the legitimate Kashmiri struggle for self-determination, in complete disregard of human rights norms and humanitarian laws.

The situation has further worsened since India’s illegal and unilateral revocation of the special status of IIOJK on 5th August 2019.

Around 690 extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris at the hands of the Indian occupation forces have been recorded in the last three years. Prominent Hurriyat leaders have been illegally detained or placed under house arrest.

In spite of various United Nations Security Council resolutions, prescribing a fair and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices in order to decide the final disposition of the Kashmir dispute, India has not only remained intransigent in its illegal occupation of the IIOJK but has also intensified its atrocities on the beleaguered Kashmiris in a bid to perpetuate its occupation.

The commemoration of 27th October is a grim reminder of India’s unlawful assault on Jammu and Kashmir 75 years ago. It should also serve as an eye-opener to India that no quantum of barbarity, human rights violations or unlawful repressive measures can dampen the spirit of the Kashmiris who remain as resolute in their struggle for the right of self-determination as they were 75 years ago.

Source: Radio Pakistan