Govt announces Feb 5 public holiday for Kashmir Solidarity Day

The federal government on Monday announced that February 5 would be a public holiday on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The announcement was made in a press release from the Cabinet Secretariat that said a minute's silence would be observed nationwide at 10am in remembrance of Kashmir's martyrs.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange also notified market participants that it would remain closed for the holiday. 

The day’s origins trace back to the early 1990s, when it was first proposed by Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

The annual observance is used by successive governments to restate support for Kashmiris in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and to amplify Pakistan’s long-standing call for a settlement in line with United Nation resolutions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the day is a reminder to the world and a show of solidarity with the Kashmiris for their right to self-determination. The government information department has similarly linked the day to UN Security Council resolutions calling for a plebiscite.

Read: Pakistan calls for UN-backed plebiscite on Kashmir

Kashmir Solidarity Day is typically marked with rallies, seminars, peace marches and candlelight vigils, including events in Islamabad and across the country, as well as in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In past years, the day has included human chains at key connecting points such as Kohala.

Civic groups and members of the Kashmiri diaspora have also used the day to keep international attention on Kashmir, reiterating calls for a UN-backed vote on the region’s future.