Kashmiris observe Black Day worldwide

Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and around the world observed Black Day on October 27, to send a powerful message to India and the international community that they vehemently reject New Delhi’s illegal occupation of their homeland. On this day, the Indian government sent its troops to IIOJK. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference gave the call for the observance of Black Day and the shutdown and various other organizations supported it. Posters also appeared in Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama, Islamabad, Kulgam, Kupwara, and other regions of IIOJK, urging residents to participate in the shutdown. These posters, displayed by the APHC and other pro-freedom groups, characterized October 27, 1947, as the darkest chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. The social media platforms, including X, Facebook, and WhatsApp widely shared the messages amplifying calls for solidarity and resistance. It was on this day in 1947 that Indian troops invaded Jammu and Kashmir in blatant violation of the Partition Plan, occupying the region against the will of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan has always expressed its unwavering solidarity with Kashmiri brothers and sisters and it will continue to extend its full moral, diplomatic, and political support to them. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called upon the international community to exert pressure on India to halt its ongoing human rights abuses in the Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Pakistan will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination. In a message on Kashmir Black Day, 27 October 2024, Pakistan said October 27, 1947, marked a dark chapter in South Asian history when India sent troops to occupy Jammu and Kashmir. For decades, the people of IIOJK have endured brutal repression by Indian forces. The recent developments in the Middle East are a stark reminder that long-standing disputes if allowed to fester may make the lives of residents intolerable. Violating international law and pushing disputes under the rug, does not guarantee lasting peace. Three generations of Kashmiris have waited for the world, especially the United Nations, to deliver them their right to self-determination. The world can no longer ignore its responsibility. On this day 77 years ago, Indian forces landed in Srinagar. India has since stifled the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people to determine their destiny. It has failed to fulfill its obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have suffered countless hardships during the last seventy-seven years. However, their resolve to realize their inalienable right to self-determination remains as firm as it was in 1947. Pakistanis pay their heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices made by the Kashmiri people in their continued struggle for the right to self-determination. Undoubtedly, their sacrifices will not go in vain. India has been taking successive steps to tighten its grip over IIOJK since 5 August 2019. India’s nefarious designs aim at undermining the disputed status of IIOJK and denying the Kashmiri people their democratic right to decide their future. Today, the Kashmiri people are enduring the most egregious and painful curbs on their daily lives and livelihoods. IIOJK is a big prison now and the Indian occupation forces act with impunity under draconian counterterrorism laws. However, these oppressive measures cannot dampen the Kashmiri people’s yearning for self-determination. Pakistan has consistently maintained that peace and stability in South Asia remain contingent upon the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute under the relevant UNSC resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiris. India must realize that it cannot suppress the genuine aspirations of the Kashmiri people by its coercive tactics.