LAHORE: Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and rest of the world marked “Black Day” on Thursday, to reject the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India.
The day is marked every year to express support and solidarity with Kashmiri people in their just struggle for right to self-determination and press the United Nations and the international community over their commitments regarding the resolution of this longstanding dispute.
The day was marked by a complete shutdown and civil curfew by the people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
To mark the day, protest marches, rallies and seminars were held in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and all over the world to condemn the invasion of the territory by Indian Army on 27th October, 1947 as well as revocation of special status of occupied Kashmir by the Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government on August 5, 2019.
Kashmiris urged the global community to give up its criminal silence on the Indian brutalities in the occupied Kashmir and take practical steps to force New Delhi to give the Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
In Lahore, a public rally, led by Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, was organised, to mark the day.
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Muhammad Ali, Kashmiri leader Mushtaq Ahmad, Diwan Ghulam Mohyuddin and a large number of people took part in the rally, to express solidarity with the Kashmiris.
While addressing the participants, Aslam Iqbal regretted that innocent Kashmiris are being subjected to the worst brutalities and oppression by the Indian-occupied forces but the United Nations and international rights organisations are not paying due attention. The sacrifices of oppressed Kashmiris will pay off and the sun of freedom of Kashmir will rise soon, he added.
Responding to media questions, Aslam Iqbal said that there will be a peaceful long march under the leadership of Imran Khan.
“It will be the biggest long march in the history of the country which will determine the future of Pakistan,” he said, adding: “The whole nation will participate in the long march for the supremacy of justice. This long march will thwart the ambitions of the rulers imposed under the external agenda. The foreign agenda of the rulers sitting in the centre is very dangerous and it seems that the crime minister is going to barter our honor and freedom with foreign countries.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022