On the occasion of Indian Republic Day, January 26, a Black Day will be observed in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, under the auspices of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell (JKLC).

According to Kashmir Media Service, a full-scale protest demonstration will be organized in this regard, the aim of which is to draw the attention of the international community to the ongoing Indian oppression, unconstitutional measures and serious and continuous violations of human rights in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.  The APHC-AJK chapter and JKLC in a statement issued in Muzaffarabad said India’s so-called Republic Day is not a day of joy for the Kashmiri people, but rather a bitter reminder of slavery, oppression and exploitation.

It said instead of granting the people of Jammu and Kashmir the right to self-determination, recognized under the United Nations resolutions, India continues to impose military sieges, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, arrests of political leaders, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in the occupied territory. 

The statement said the purpose of observing Black Day is to highlight the fact that the claims of Indian Constitution and democracy are completely at odds with the ground realities of occupied Kashmir and the Kashmiri people are not ready to accept Indian occupation under any circumstances. 

The APHC-AJK chapter and JKLC appealed to the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, political and social organizations, students, lawyers, civil society and the media to participate fully in the Black Day protest and raise their collective voice against Indian atrocities so that the world conscience is shaken and the Kashmiri people can be given their fundamental and legal right to self-determination.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)