Plight of Kashmir is a travesty of law and justice: PM Imran

'Black Day' being observed to mark 72 years of India's illegal occupation of Kashmir

Pakistanis and Kashmiris around the world and on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) are observing a 'Black Day' on Sunday to mark 72 years since New Delhi forcibly and illegally took over Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

According to Radio Pakistan, a complete shutdown is being observed in occupied Kashmir where life has been crippled by a brutal clampdown imposed by India before its illegal August 5 revocation of IOK's special status.

In their separate messages, President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan's moral, political, and diplomatic support to the people of IOK and their legitimate right to self-determination.

PM Imran said India's illegal occupation commenced on October 27, 1947, and New Delhi took further steps on August 5, 2019, to unilaterally alter the disputed status of the occupied territory and change its demographic structure and identity.



"Through the deployment of additional troops and an unprecedented media and communications blackout, Indian Occupied Kashmir has been turned into the largest prison on the planet," he said.

"Pakistan, the Kashmiris and the Muslim Ummah, have categorically rejected this travesty of law and justice."

PM Imran reiterated Pakistan's demand that the curfew and communications blackout in IOK must be immediately lifted, and India’s illegal and unilateral action to change the occupied territory's status must be rescinded.

In his message, President Alvi said the United Nations Security Council has, through several resolutions, upheld the fundamental rights of Kashmiri people to decide their own future through a fair and impartial plebiscite.

Message from President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi on Kashmir Black Day.#KashmirBlackDay#Kashmirhttps://t.co/BT2KSo6IYO

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 27, 2019

He also criticised New Delhi's barbaric actions in IOK and called for an end to the clampdown and communications blockade in the occupied territory.

"India has imposed an inhumane lockdown on eight million people in occupied Kashmir," said the president.

"Indian occupying forces are perpetrating unspeakable crimes against Kashmiri people, including women and children, with complete impunity."

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also issued a statement lauding the "exemplary resilience and grit" of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir.

"On this day 72 long years ago, Indian forces landed in Srinagar to occupy and oppress the innocent people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) in a clear violation of international law and norms.

On 5th August, the same India has endeavored to rob the people of IOJ&K of their last semblance of independence and autonomy by indulging in a shambolic, illegal fraudulence and by accepting to lead to a demographic change in IOK," he said.



The minister urged India to "realise it cannot fool the world forever and that its tried and trite accusations of terrorism" have no standing in the international community since it is "the principle perpetrator of it [terrorism]".

"For almost three months now, the Kashmiris have been prisoners in their own homes, aliens in their own land and unwelcome on their own roads. The whole IOK has been turned with a de-facto prison," said FM Qureshi.

"Despite Indian spin doctors best attempts, the world has taken notice. India has been called out, criticised and castigated by friend and foe alike. The entire international media has come forth and called out India’s shame democracy and bogus egalitarianism in unison."

He also concluded with a message of solidarity, assuring the people of Kashmir of Pakistan's support in their struggle for self-determination as per the UNSC resolutions.

Kashmir day observed in UAE

An event was also held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi to observe ‘Kashmir Black Day’. A large number of Kashmiri and Pakistani community members living in Abu Dhabi attended the function.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to UAE Ghulam Dastgir presided over the function. Special messages of the president and prime minister on the ‘Kashmir Black Day’ were read out during the event.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

In his address, Ambassador Dastgir lauded the heroic struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right of self-determination. He said that the Black Day was observed to remind the nation and the world about illegal occupation of Kashmir and highlight the plight of the Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

He said that, on this day, the people of Pakistan renew their resolve to continue their support for the Kashmiri brothers and sisters till their legitimate aspirations for realisation of right to self-determination is achieved in accordance with the UN resolutions and their wishes.

The ambassador also noted that continuous incidents of human rights violations, desecration of human lives, rapes and depriving the children of their eye-sights through the use of pallet guns by the Indian forces were against the basic principles of human dignity. He said for over seven decades, the Kashmir dispute has remained on the agenda of the UN Security Council and since then it is a blot on the conscience of international community.

He urged the international community for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

During the event, a documentary was shown depicting the gross human rights violations being committed by the Indian government in Kashmir. Students of the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Arab Pakistan School, Abu Dhabi, Pakistani Islamic Private School Al-Ain and Pakistan Community Welfare School, Musaffah sang national songs.

At the end of the function, special prayers were offered for the Kashmiri martyrs and for an early resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.