To break free: Kashmiris cry out for freedom on ‘black day’

People across AJK, G-B protest against Indian atrocities

MUZAFFARABAD: Kashmiris across the Line of Control (LoC) observed a black day on Thursday against the Indian Army’s invasion of their territory on October 27, 1947.

On that day, New Delhi deployed troops in Srinagar against the wishes of the region’s native population and forcibly occupied land. That invasion formed the basis for one of the longest-running territorial disputes in the world and has been the subject of at least two subsequent wars between Pakistan and India and left Kashmir as a disputed territory.



At a function in Muzaffarabad to mark the event, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Acting President Shah Ghulam Qadir said India invaded their lands and enslaved the locals. He said that 69 years later, the determination of Kashmiris towards their cause was still unfazed and had exposed New Delhi’s intentions to the world.

He added that the 106 days of protests against Indian rule in Srinagar since July 9 was ample proof that New Delhi had lost its writ over the occupied parts of Kashmir. “A black day across AJK and Indian-occupied Kashmir shows that locals will never compromise on their basic rights.”

Qadir urged the global community to play its role in settling the long-running dispute and bring permanent peace in South Asia. Kashmir Council Member Younas Meer said people demanding freedom from Indian rule have been blinded through the use of pellet guns. He added that thousands have been killed and property worth billions razed to the ground by Indian forces since the 1990s. The council member said this was an effort to break the will of Kashmiris.

“Nobody can defeat a nation in which traders shut their shops for more than three months for [the sake of] freedom. The current struggle is indigenous and people of AJK are with those in Indian-occupied Kashmir,” Meer added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) women’s wing took out an anti-India rally from their district complex to the Central Press Club. It was led by assembly member Naseema Wani.

Carrying black flags, Participants of the rally condemned the Indian aggression of October 27, 1947, and raised anti-India and pro-Kashmir freedom slogans. A black day was also observed in other districts of AJK where people held rallies against India.

Black Day in G-B

Over in Gilgit-Baltistan, a black day was also observed against Indian atrocities in Kashmir and the illegal occupation.

A rally was organised in Gilgit by the education department and the local administration. It was led by Assistant commissioner Khurram Pervaiz and included locals and students.  The rally started from old Ghari Bagh and ended at Ittehad Chowk where speakers vowed to continue their moral support for Kashmiris who had been subjected to inhumane treatment by the Indians.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2016.