Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi formed a 20 kilometers long human chain at Shahrah-e-Faisal to express solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Thousands of JI workers including women and children and people from all segments of society participated in forming a human chain from Awari Towers Hotel to Qaidabad to observe Kashmir Day. JI Pakistan Chief Senator Siraj-ul-Haq visited various points of the chain.

This year the solidarity day was observed at a time when the entire population of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir has practically been locked down since August last year when the extremist Indian government had revoked the special status for the territory in violation of international treaty. Although the move drew international condemnation, no practical step was taken on international forums to force the Indian government to reverse the move.

Addressing the participants of the activity, the JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq said that the human chain has delivered a message to the global community that people of Pakistan are fully supporting the struggle of Kashmiris. Therefore, in order to avoid a nuclear war in the region and for peace, international community should force the Indian government to provide the due right to live and the right to self-determination to the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

"The people are demanding the United Nations to ensure plebiscite, under its own resolutions, for the occupied Kashmir," he said, adding that the people of occupied Kashmir have the right to freedom from the unjust occupation of India and to join Pakistan.

He said that the human chain also manifests the resolve of Pakistani people that they stand united in solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren against the brutalities on the part of Indian occupation forces.

Criticizing the government for not taking appropriate action for people of occupied Kashmir, the JI chief said: "We want to tell the rulers of Pakistan that they have been delivering useless speeches for the last 72 years. It's time to take practical steps for the freedom of occupied Kashmir. We will have to opt for Jihad for the sake of Kashmiri people and liberation of Kashmir."

Under the international laws, the JI chief said, the people of Kashmir have the right to struggle for their freedom from illegal occupation of India.

For the past six months, Indian forces have turned occupied Kashmir into a jail while the international community is playing the role of a silent spectator. In this scenario, our Prime Minister is only delivering speeches and they think that they have done their job, he said.

"Young people are being martyred in occupied Kashmir, women are being raped, graveyards are expending but the struggle for freedom is in full swing and they bury their martyrs in Pakistani flag and chant the slogan that Kashmir will become Pakistan," he added

He urged the government to review the policy for Kashmir and immediately develop a new policy with consultation of all parties and make it true that the entire Pakistani nation is on the back of Kashmiri people.

JI Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman also demanded of the government to play due role instead of lip service. He said that the idea to observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 was introduced by the then Amir of JI late Qazi Hussain Ahmed in 1990 and since then JI is observing this day across the country. He said that issue of any country could be resolved with President Donald Trump's mediation but not issue of Indian occupied Kashmir. "Pakistani rulers are of view that Kashmir issue can be solved by speeches but it is not a reality, matter can only be resolved by taking concrete measures," he maintained.

Despite facing atrocities at the hands of Indian forces in held valley, Kashmiris are with Pakistan and under international laws, Pakistan Army should initiate to help people of Kashmir, he suggested.