President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their just struggle for right to self-determination. In their separate messages on the Black Day being observed today (Monday), President Zardari and PM Shehbaz said October 27, 1947, marks one of the darkest days in the history when Indian forces illegally entered Jammu and Kashmir, beginning a brutal occupation that continues till date.

President Zardari called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations and global human rights organizations, to hold India accountable for its grave and systematic human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), to bring an immediate end to the ongoing Indian atrocities in the occupied territory and to actively work towards the resolution of this long-festering dispute. “The United Nations, in particular, owes it to the Kashmir people,” the president said in his message on observance of Kashmir Black Day.

The president further said that given India’s recent hostilities towards Pakistan, the occasion of Kashmir Black Day highlighted that lasting peace and stability in South Asia was contingent upon a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. “On its part, Pakistan will continue its unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support to the people of IIOJK who continue to endure oppression on daily basis.

We stand united with our Kashmiri brethren in their struggle for justice, peace and self-determination,” President Secretariat Press Wing, in a press release, quoted the president as saying. On this day in 1947, he said, Indian forces entered Srinagar in blatant violation of international law, moral principles, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Consequently, one of the darkest chapters in modern history began. Since then, generations of innocent men, women, and children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) had endured unimaginable suffering under occupation, marked by violence, repression, and denial of their fundamental rights, he added.

“Every year, we observe this day as Kashmir Black Day to honour the valiant struggle and sacrifices of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who continue to resist tyranny in their pursuit of the inalienable right to self-determination. Despite decades of Indian brutality, the spirit of resistance among the Kashmiri people remains unbroken,” the president reiterated. After 5 August 2019, President Zardari further said this brutal campaign had only intensified, adding India had unilaterally revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, imposing a military siege, destructing properties of Kashmiris to inflict ‘collective punishment’ and enforcing draconian laws that strip the Kashmiri people of their fundamental freedoms.

He said the occupied territory remained under severe restrictions on movement, communication, and assembly, while fake encounters, custodial torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, continued to terrorize civilians. Systematic attempts were being made by Indian authorities to turn the Kashmiris into a minority in their own homeland, he observed. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that lasting peace and stability in South Asia would remain elusive without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people. He said, “Every year the 27th of October marks the darkest day in the history of Kashmir.

It was on this day, seventy-eight years ago, that the Indian Occupation forces landed in Srinagar and annexed it – a tragic chapter in human history that continues to this day. Ever since that fateful day, India continues to deny the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.” “For nearly eight decades, the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have endured enormous hardship and oppression. We salute their indomitable spirit, courage, and resilience, in the face of fear and persecution.

Their unwavering resolve to attain the just and inalienable right to self-determination, remains undiminished,” he added. The prime minister said, “Since August 5, 2019, India has further intensified its illegal and unilateral actions, aimed at altering the demography and political status of IIOJK. In addition to human rights abuses, massive curbs have been imposed on freedom of movement and expression.” “By imposing such draconian laws, India has unleashed a systematic campaign of violence and brutality to silence the legitimate political voices and crush the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The unlawful and unjustified incarceration of several prominent Kashmiri leaders and activists, as well as media personalities, is an ugly manifestation of this Indian extremist agenda. Their continued imprisonment, under fabricated charges, is in blatant violation of international human rights norms,” he noted. The prime minister said, “Pakistan has consistently condemned these unlawful measures, that defy international law and violate numerous relevant UN resolutions.

We have steadfastly maintained our position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remains clear, consistent, and principled.” “As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have always highlighted the plight of my Kashmiri brothers and sisters before the international community and echoed their calls for freedom from Indian occupation. “I wish to assure the Kashmiri people, that they are not alone in their struggle, rather, the 240 million people of Pakistan stand resolutely beside them,” he stressed.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)