Kashmir solidarity day: A day of resolve to support IIOJ&K’s freedom
PESHAWAR (APP): Every year, Kashmir solidarity day is observed on February 5 across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir where people express solidarity with an oppressed Kashmiris of Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), who were facing endless oppression and state terrorism unleashed by the Indian occupation forces since October 27, 1947.
The Kashmiris living in Pakistan including Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Azad Kashmir are all set to observe Kashmir solidarity day on Thursday (February 5) with a renew commitment and resolve to continue moral, political and diplomatic support to oppressed Kashmiris of IIOJ&K till they achieve freedom from the Indian yoke.
Kashmir solidarity day was first observed in 1990 when former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif called the nation to mark the day necessary for success of freedom movement in the held valley. Later, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Govt announced a public holiday on 5th February to express solidarity with oppressed Kashmiris of the IIOJ&K.
The observance of the day is aimed at highlighting the illegal occupation of Kashmir by Indian occupation forces on October 27, 1947, plight of Kashmiris in the face of ongoing Indian state terrorism and imperative need of resolution of this long dispute in accordance with the aspirations of Kashmiri people and UN Security Resolutions.
In Khyber Pakthunkhwa, political organizations, civil society, NGOs and educational institutions have planned special programs and declamation contests wherein UN security resolutions, Kashmiris struggle for right of self-determination, Indian Govt illegal actions of August 5, 2019 and human rights’ violations in IIOJ&K will be highlighted.
“Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute, and is on unfinished agenda of subcontinent partition plan,” said Professor Dr. Ejaz Khan, former chairman, International Relations Department at University of Peshawar while talking to APP on Monday.
He said it was India that took the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations Security Council after Kashmiris stood against Indian Forces’ illegal invasion on October 27, 1947 at Srinagar and later did not honour its commitment to allow right of self determination in IIOJ&K after adaptation of UN Security Council resolutions.
He said 27th of October 1947 is a black day observed all over the world by Kashmiris as 79 years ago, India without legal justification, had forcibly occupied the Muslims dominated state of Jummu and Kashmir by depriving its people of all rights, freedom and liberties.
Dr Ejaz Khan said an unending repression, human rights’ abuses and organised Indian state terrorism that started from an illegal invasion of Srinagar on October 27, 1947 had been further intensified after the fascist Modi regime unlawfully revoked the special status of IIOJ&K on August 5, 2019.
Breaking all records of human rights abuses and war crimes in IIOJK, the India’s apartheid regime had deprived the oppressed Kashmiris of all civil, economic, constitutional and political rights and liberties after abrogating Articles 370 and 35 A on August 5, 2019, thereby holding hostage millions of Kashmiris at gunpoint in the held valley where life became a nightmare especially children and women.
“October 27, 1947 and August 5, 2019 are the blackest days in the history of Kashmir as on these dates, Indian Govt had hatched deep-rooted conspiracy to rob Kashmiris of their history, language and ethno-cultural identity,” said Manzoorul Haq, former ambassador while talking to APP.
The Indian occupation forces’ continued oppression, human rights abuses and reign of terror at IIOJK were one of the root causes of an indigenous freedom movement in the held valley that was virtually turned into the world’s largest jail of the modern world, he said.
“India can’t change IIOJK autonomous status unilaterally in the wake of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Modi government’s illegal acts of August 5, 2019 were neither endorsed by the UNSC nor by any foreign country, and the Hinduvata regime was now repenting after internationalizing the Kashmir dispute,” he said.
Dr Zahid Anwar, associate professor at the Political Science Department, University of Peshawar said that strategic stability has been threatened by India as it continues to receive abundant supply of conventional and non-conventional weapons that put the peace of South Asia at stake.
He said the unprecedented increase in India’s military budget and expenditures in recent years have characterized the global security landscape as grim. He said Modi Govt’s nefarious plans were thwarted by Pakistani armed forces during the May 2025 conflict. Zahid Anwar said that Pakistan’s importance significantly enhanced internationally after defeating Indian in May 2005 conflict wherein about seven warplanes including rafale of India were shotdown by PAF.
Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Vice Chairman, Jummu and Kashmir People’s League said that people of Azad Kashmir are all set to observe Kashmir solidarity day where big protest demonstrations were planned.
He said after August 5, 2019 illegal actions, Indian occupation forces killed innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters, put Kashmiri leadership behind bars, imposed clampdown on media and used human rights abuses as a weapon of war.
Even the mass rituals and funeral of great Kashmiri leader, Syed Ali Gillani was not allowed and his body was forcefully snatched from the bereaved family and buried at night. Similarly, great hurriat leader, Muhammad Yasin Malik was jailed for life in a fake case in a bid to silence his strong voice for Kashmir’s freedom and terrorize other Kashmir leadership. Despite the brutal killing of freedom fighter Burhan Wani and other Kashmiris leadership in a fake encounter, he said India failed to suppress the indigenous freedom movement in IIOJ&K.
The gruesome violation of human rights including forced disappearance of over 8,000 innocent Kashmiris, 8,652 unmarked mass graves, imposition of longest curfew on some 10 million unarmed Kashmiris, extra judicial killings and human rights abuses especially against women and children had exposed India’s ugly secular face.
Kashmir leader while referring to the September 2021’s Pakistani dossier said about 8,652 unmarked graves were identified in 89 villages of six districts in the held valley while bodies of 37 Kashmiris burnt alive by Indian forces were beyond recognition.
Since 1989, he said over 96,000 cases of extra judicial killings, around 162,000 cases of arbitrary arrests and torture, over 25,000 pellet guns injuries, 11,250 women raped, 23,000 women widowed and over 108,000 children orphaned by the Indian army.
Mushtaq Ahmed said an excessive use of snipers and cluster ammunitions by India to target innocent Kashmiris along the Line of Control (LoC), use of children and women as human shields by Indian army during encounters and making them sleep at military camps forcing them to dig out minefields and tying youth on military jeeps testified Modi government’s direct involvement in war crimes and genocide of Kashmiris.
Hussain Khateeb, member All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Gillani Group) said the burning of mosques, houses and shops belonging to Muslims at BJP-led Tripura state by Hindutvta groups of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal in recent years exposed Modi’s tyranny against minorities. He said mosques in Krishnagar, Dharmangar, Panisagar, Chandrapure were vandalized by the saffron-wearing youth in planned attacks on the Muslims population.
Ambassador Manzoorul Haq said an illegal occupation of Kashmir valley by India had contravened multiple articles of the 30 fundamental human rights of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) drafted by representatives from all the regions of the world including India on December 10, 1948 and subsequently was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
He said this declaration was applied to all the signatory members of the UN including India and restrained them from all kinds of abuses, exploitation, maltreatment and violence besides violation of any fundamental rights protected in UDHR.
The experts urged international community to look beyond trade and business interests and step forward with a collective action to stop genocide of oppressed Kashmiris besides pressurize Modi government to reverse all its illegal actions of August 5, 2019 and give right of self-determination to the Kashmiris imperative for lasting peace and stability in South Asia.
