ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan will observe Kashmir Solidarity Day today (Thursday) with rallies and events planned across the country to reaffirm support for Kashmiris in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Protest demonstrations and solidarity events would be held in cities and towns across Pakistan to highlight alleged human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam Wednesday said that Pakistan would observe Kashmir Solidarity Day with coordinated activities across the country, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) to reaffirm support for Kashmiris and highlight rights abuses.
Speaking at a news conference alongside APHC leaders, he paid tribute to Kashmiris who had faced imprisonment, the destruction of homes and the loss of relatives, but remained steadfast.
Separately, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad held a seminar marking Kashmir Solidarity Day. The participants urged the world community to move beyond statements of concern and take concrete diplomatic and legal steps to resolve the dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people.
Mushaal Hussein Malik – the wife of imprisoned Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik – said the observance was “not merely symbolic” and amounted to a reminder of what she called the world’s moral responsibility towards Kashmiris.
She told the seminar that Kashmir remained one of the longest-standing unresolved disputes on the UN agenda.
India’s policies in occupied Kashmir
She criticised India’s policies in occupied Kashmir, alleging systematic rights abuses, militarisation and attempts to suppress Kashmiri identity and political resistance.
In a video message, Altaf Hussain Wani, senior vice chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Front, said February 5 carried special significance because it amplifies Kashmiri voices, which he said were being suppressed.
February 5 is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day worldwide. This day renews the commitment to the right to self-determination for the oppressed Kashmiris.
From Karachi to Khyber and Gilgit to Gwadar, the entire Pakistan will speak in one voice to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
Human chains will be formed at entry points including Kohala Bridge and Holar Bridge, while rallies, seminars, and protest demonstrations will be held across the country, drawing the attention of the international community to Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir.
Additionally, a session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will also be held today, with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif participating especially. Important announcements are also expected during his address on this occasion.
It is worth noting that during the eternal struggle for freedom by the Kashmiri people, thousands of Kashmiris have sacrificed their lives, while more than a thousand Kashmiri citizens are enduring the hardships of imprisonment in various Indian jails.
