What became clear today at the United Nations is this: when people set aside their party differences and join hands for a just cause, the impact is undeniable. Hundreds of our brothers, sisters, and well-wishers traveled from across the states to raise their voices together and staged an impressive demonstration at the United Nations headquarters in New York during the speech at Dr. S. Jaishankar, the foreign minister of India to the General Assembly.

Their powerful presence sent one message loud and clear to the United Nations: the people of Kashmir, are still living under occupation — despite the promise you made 78 years ago to let them decide their destiny in an internationally supervised referendum. The rally was jointly sponsored by Kashmiri American Communities of New York and Washington Metroopolitan areas. 

Waving banners and shouting slogans, their demands displaced on the placards and banners carried the messages: “Release Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Masarat Aalam, Aasia Andrabi and other political prisoners”; “Hold India accountable for war crimes”; “Stop Demographic terrorism in Kashmir”; “India criminalizes press freedom in Kashmir”; “End Indian colonization in Kashmir”; “Implement UN resolution on Kashmir”; “Indian army out of Kashmir.” 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)