ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), as Kashmiri people observed the 26 January 2022 –India’s Republic Day as black day on Wednesday.

“Today, when the Kashmiris in IIOJK and around the world mark 26 January as a black day against India’s oppression, the government and people of Pakistan reaffirm their unshakable resolve to continue to raise their voice and extend all possible support for the right of self-determination of the people of IIOJK,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement.

He said that it is deplorable that in the past few days, the Indian occupation forces have further intensified the military siege already in place in the occupied territory for more than seven decades.

“Coercing innocent Kashmiris to hoist Indian flags on the Republic Day is typical of India’s high-handedness to project a false sense of ‘normalcy’ and a hopeless attempt at masking its systematic and widespread oppression,” he added.

He said that the Indian government’s decision to award so-called gallantry awards to the personnel of its occupation forces is yet another affront to the dignity of the countless victims of India’s state-terrorism characterised by gross human rights violations, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, suspension of fundamental freedoms, rapes, and the use of draconian laws such as Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Public Safety Act with complete impunity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022