Pakistan calls for UN-backed plebiscite on Kashmir

Institute of Voice of Victims Chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat has stated that every year on February 5, Kashmir Solidarity Day is observed to highlight the unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the right of its people to determine their own future.

The day is observed with rallies, candlelight vigils, human chains, seminars, peace marches, and other events organized by civic groups, parliaments, and the Kashmiri diaspora.

In a piece, Bhat noted that the observance underscores the unfinished promise enshrined in United Nations resolutions, which called for a free and impartial plebiscite in Kashmir. For Kashmiris, the pledge represents the only legitimate path out of occupation, repression, and ongoing suffering.

Over the decades, delays and geopolitical maneuvering have prevented implementation of these resolutions, leaving generations of Kashmiris under a heavily militarized status quo. Advocates say that while speeches and statements are delivered each year, concrete action remains limited.