Kashmir Black Day observed across AJK

Muzaffarabad rally hands memo to UN observer mission

MUZAFFARABAD:

Kashmir Black Day was observed across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Tuesday to mark 79 years since Indian troops arrived in Srinagar on October 27, 1947 as the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) staged an anti-India rally in Muzaffarabad, urging implementation of United Nations resolutions on the Kashmir dispute.

Separately, senior APHC leader and Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) Chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat urged the international community to intensify diplomatic efforts towards a just and lasting settlement, saying the fundamental question of the Kashmiri people's political future remained unresolved.

The APHC-organised rally began at Burhan Wani Chowk and culminated outside the office of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).

A memorandum was submitted to representatives of the UN observer mission, drawing attention to the Kashmir dispute and the Kashmiri people's demand for the right to self-determination.

Addressing the rally, AJK Prime Minister Iftikhar Gilani, Minister for Energy and Water Resources and Chairman of the National Ceremonies Committee Saqib Majeed Raja, former APHC convener Mahmood Sagar, APHC Secretary General Advocate Pervez Ahmed and other speakers paid tribute to those who had sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Refugees from IIOJK settled in AJK, students and people from different walks of life participated in the rally. The speakers paid homage to the martyrs of the Kashmiri freedom movement, acknowledging their sacrifices in the struggle for freedom.

They said the occasion served as a reminder of the unresolved Kashmir dispute and reaffirmed the Kashmiri people's determination to continue their struggle. Despite Indian tactics and severe repression, the speakers maintained that New Delhi had failed to extinguish the Kashmiris' desire for freedom. Highlighting the sacrifices made during the decades-long movement, they said Kashmiris had repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to Pakistan. They referred to instances in which the bodies of slain Kashmiris had been wrapped in Pakistani flags before burial.

The speakers said Pakistan had consistently supported the Kashmiri people and that the people of Pakistan and AJK stood firmly with those living in IIOJK. They stressed that setting aside political differences and forging unity in support of the Kashmir cause was essential at this critical juncture.

They also said Pakistan's success in 'Marka-e-Haq' had boosted the morale of Kashmiris and filled them with pride.

The speakers accused India of seeking to alter the demographic composition of IIOJK following the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, and of committing serious human rights violations in the occupied territory.

Bhat calls for renewed int'l efforts

In his statement on Kashmir Black Day, Altaf Ahmed Bhat denounced October 27 as one of the darkest chapters in Jammu and Kashmir's history, marking the arrival of Indian troops in Srinagar in 1947 and the beginning of a prolonged conflict that continues to shape the lives of millions of Kashmiris.

He said 79 years had passed since those events, yet the fundamental question of the Kashmiri people's political future remained unresolved.

"October 27 is not merely a date in our history. It represents generations of separation, suffering, sacrifices and an unfinished promise of justice. For Kashmiris, observing Black Day is a reaffirmation that their political aspirations cannot be extinguished by the passage of time," he said.

Bhat recalled that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was taken to the United Nations shortly after the events of 1947, leading to Security Council resolutions and international commitments concerning a peaceful settlement.