Karachi rallies for Kashmir

From bustling streets to landmark squares, Karachi resonated with chants of solidarity on Kashmir Solidarity Day, as citizens joined hands to reaffirm their unwavering support for the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir. Demonstrations, rallies, and public gatherings across the city turned the day into a powerful expression of unity, resistance, and hope.

Like the rest of the country, Kashmir Solidarity Day was observed across Karachi on Thursday, with citizens strongly condemning alleged human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir and demanding a just resolution to the long-standing dispute. Protesters urged the United Nations and the international community to play an active role in resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with UN resolutions.

To pay tribute to the Kashmiri struggle for freedom, various programmes, rallies, and public events were organised throughout the city. Political and religious parties, civil society members, and social organisations staged rallies in different localities, many of which culminated at Mazar-e-Quaid and the Karachi Press Club.

Outside the Karachi Press Club, demonstrators held protests against India, carrying Pakistani and Kashmiri flags and raising slogans such as "Pakistan Zindabad," "Kashmir Zindabad," "Kashmir Banega Pakistan," and "Long Live the Pakistan Army." Participants also chanted slogans against the Modi government.

Addressing the gatherings, speakers highlighted the decades-long struggle of the Kashmiri people, paying tribute to the sacrifices made in pursuit of the right to self-determination. They spoke of alleged Indian aggression and narrated accounts of suffering faced by Kashmiris at the hands of occupying forces in the valley.

Speakers said that February 5 serves as a reminder of the sacrifices of innocent Kashmiris who continue to struggle for their legitimate rights.

"Our support will continue until the freedom of Kashmir," speakers said, echoing the chant, "Kashmir Banega Pakistan."

CM leads solidarity rally

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah led a large Kashmir Solidarity Rally in the city, reaffirming Pakistan's unwavering political, moral and diplomatic support for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and strongly condemning human rights violations in the occupied territory.

Addressing participants, he said February 5 serves as a reminder of the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan's firm commitment to their just struggle. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri people. Freedom is the greatest blessing, and the people of occupied Kashmir understand its true value," he said.

Murad Ali Shah stressed that lasting peace in South Asia is impossible without a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. He said the Kashmiri people have been struggling for their right to self-determination for the past 79 years and continue to face unlawful detentions, suppression and widespread human rights abuses.

JI show

Jamaat-e-Islami also organised a large Kashmir Solidarity Rally from Jail Chowrangi to Mazar-e-Quaid, drawing participants from all walks of life.

The march was led by JI Karachi Ameer Monem Zafar. Ameer-ul-Azeem criticised Pakistan's leadership for what he described as silence and inaction on the Kashmir issue. He said India had taken bold steps in occupied Kashmir, including the revocation of the region's special constitutional status. He alleged that the biggest hurdle to resolving the Kashmir dispute lies in Pakistan's own lack of political will. "Whenever the Kashmiri struggle gains momentum, Kashmir flags disappear from Islamabad," he remarked, adding that missed diplomatic opportunities reflected cowardice rather than resolve.