Kashmir Solidarity Day: Long struggles, sacrifices of Kashmiris for right to self-determination

By Fakhar e Alam

PESHAWAR, Feb 4 (APP): Every year, Kashmir solidarity day is observed on February 5 in Pakistan to honor the 77 years long struggle and matchless sacrifices of the oppressed Kashmiris of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir (IIOJK) despite endless oppression, human rights abuses and state terrorism at the hands of Indian occupational forces for over seven decades.
From Karachi to Khyber and Gawdar to Muzafarabad, the people of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir are all set to pay glowing tributes to the martyrs of Indian Occupied Jummu and Kashmir who sacrificed their lives during the legitimate freedom movement started on October 27, 1947.
Raise placards and banners with slogans like ‘Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan and Indians forces go out of Kashmir”, the Kashmiris on both side of the LoC and Pakistanis would demand from UN, international powers and human rights organizations to put pressure on the fascist Modi government to restore the special status of IIOJK and give rights of self determination to over 10 million oppressed Kashmiris as promised to them by the UN.
Besides Kashmiris, the civil society, political and religious parties, lawyers’, students, bodies, transporters, trade, farmers, unions and general public planned protest rallies and demonstrations in connection with Kashmir solidarity day in all provinces of Pakistan including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Kashmir, the heaven on Earth, has been blazing for more than seven decades, unnoticed by those who make global decisions. Unleashing terror, Indian military forces had illegally invaded Kashmir against the will of Kashmiris and occupied it soon after the creation of Pakistan with no respect for human rights, UN Charter and international laws,” said Professor Dr Ejaz Khan, former Chairman, International Relations Department, University of Peshawar while talking to APP.
He said India had been openly disregarding International laws and UN Security Council’s resolutions and committed sheer human rights violation in the illegally occupied valley, adding Indian occupied forces had broken all records of atrocities and unleashed brutalities against innocent Kashmiris in a bid to press their legitimate freedom struggle but could not succeeded in their nefarious designs despite 77 years endless brutalities and human rights abuses.
“By abolishing the special status of IIOJK, India’s nefarious designs regarding promoting Hindu ideology and hatred against Muslims besides settling Hindus in IIOJK has stood exposed,” Dr Ejaz said.
Manzoorul Haq, former Ambassador said that October 27, 1947 and August 5, 2019 are black days in the history of Kashmir as on these days, India had made deep-rooted conspiracy to rob Kashmiris of their history, language and ethno-cultural identity. He said India’s persistent repression, depriving Kashmiris of all liberties and human rights abuses at IIOJK were one of the root causes of an indigenous freedom movement in the held valley.
Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Vice Chairman, Jummu and Kashmir Peoples League said that Kashmir Solidarity Day is being observed with a renewed pledge to continue supporting the indigenous freedom movement at IIOJK politically, morally and diplomatically. He said Indian occupation forces were involved in extra judicial killing of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters, putting the Kashmiri leadership behind bars, imposing clampdown on media and used rape of women and molestation of children as weapon of war.
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, rape and molestation of women and children have exposed India’s ugly secular face, he said.
He said over 162,000 Kashmiris were subjected to inhuman torture by the Indian forces since 1989. Referring to the September 2021’s Pakistani dossier having strong evidences of India’s involvement in war crimes and human rights abuses in IIOJK said about 8,652 unmarked graves had been 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, 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 were orphaned by the Indian army,” he added.
Ambassador Manzoorul Haq said that the illegal occupation of Kashmir valley by India contravened multiple articles of the 30 fundamental human rights of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) drafted by representatives from all the regions of the world including India on December 10, 1948 and was subsequently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly ( UNGA).
This declaration is applied on all the signatory members of the UN including India and restrained them from abuse, exploitation, maltreatment and all kinds of violence besides violation of any fundamental rights protected in UDHR, he said.
Muhammad Hussain Khateeb, member All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Gillani Group) said that people of the held Kashmir were deprived of all liberties including communication, free media and internet where the journalists of independent media were being harassed, killed and jailed after exposing Indian forces’ war crimes and human rights abuses.
They said road to peace in South Asia is passing through Kashmir and lasting peace in subcontinent was not possible unless resolution of the core issue of Kashmir as per wishes and aspirations of Kashmiris.
APP/fam/taj (APP Feature Service)