What does Kashmir Day mean to the average Pakistani?
We ventured out in Karachi and asked old and young to share their sentiments regarding Kashmir Day.
Dawn.com
Published
February 5, 2016
Kashmir Day is observed every year on Feb 5 to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir in their struggle for self-determination.
This year, we at Dawn.com decided to venture out in the bustling city of Karachi to find out what Kashmir Day means to the average Pakistani.
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Comments (68) Closed
Crack boy
Feb 05, 2016 12:57pm
Last lady summed it up nicely....hum khud langde lule hai
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Sonny Afridi
Feb 05, 2016 12:58pm
The Pakistani flag waves with pride on both sides of the Line of Control. Kashmir is jugular vein of Pakistan and we stand for the liberation of Kashmiri nation
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Fried Chillies
Feb 05, 2016 01:20pm
Countries don't let go of their problems. They solve it in a way where people are willing to happily be a part of the solution. At times it takes long other times it takes longer
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Indiana Janardhan
Feb 05, 2016 03:19pm
"..abhi to hum khud langde luley hain"
Haha...ROFLMAO
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Pervaiz
Feb 05, 2016 03:43pm
Fore me It is another off from office..
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Ailly
Feb 05, 2016 03:58pm
why do we celebrate a day-off in the name of Kashmir Day whereas our govt of PMLN had scrapped Iqbal Day.... ?
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Hassan
Feb 05, 2016 04:26pm
I support every holiday....
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Kashmiri Srinagar
Feb 05, 2016 04:39pm
Thanks Pakistan for supporting us, but we need more concrete vision and plan to liberate Kashmir from occupation, just raising this issue in international fora will achieve nothing as world has more pressing issues and nobody cares for what happens to Kashmiris or even if their is a nuclear war in south Asia, west and china will say good riddance.
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ijaz kashmiri
Feb 05, 2016 04:40pm
Very sad and disheartened to see the response from many people in Pakistan who don't care about the situation of kashmiris, thanks to those who support us.
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AHA
Feb 05, 2016 04:42pm
Observing Kashmir Day is nothing more than one more trick to divert attention of our people from the pathetic state of affairs in Pakistan, a doing of the ruling class of Pakistan.
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Zak
Feb 05, 2016 04:43pm
Govt of Pakistan and Kashmiri groups in AJK ,Pakistan should sensitize people of Pakistan about Kashmir issue , raise awareness , spread the message of struggle and tragedy kashmiris are facing and raise support .
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Sarah1
Feb 05, 2016 04:45pm
I support Kashmir in the sense that it will remain with India.
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toufeeq , held kashmir
Feb 05, 2016 04:58pm
Seeing this video about the insensitivity of Pakistanis towards Kashmiris is similar to response of Americans about other countries in the world, they are totally ignorant, Pakistanis look like they are living in their own world not bothering about Kashmiris .
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shireen - baramulla kashmir
Feb 05, 2016 05:02pm
Thanks Pakistan for letting know your true feelings for Kashmir, we are on our own, our only option is to stay with India and bring back Kashmiri Pandits to Kashmir , doing that will reduce the violence against Muslim kashmiris and ensure New Delhi is forced to develop industries ,education ,infrastructure as Hindu constituency in India will force Indian govt to do that once pandits are brought back to the valley.
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Cheels
Feb 05, 2016 05:15pm
@shireen - baramulla kashmir .....I'm sorry that you feel this way but reality is Pakistan has supported this cause for the past 6 decades and nothing has come out off it...Support in the Valley has only dwindled with time (bar the recent flag waving). Time for Pakistan to move on and let the people of Kashmir rise up on their own if they wish to....
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true pakistani
Feb 05, 2016 05:16pm
More important than Kashmir is Pakistan, we have million problems more grave than Kashmiris are facing, first let us make it the priority to make Pakistan a safe place where all are equal irrespective of their religion and then equally distribute wealth to all Pakistanis ,stop corruption and violence , then make peace with Afghanistan and India, stop encouraging taliban in Afghanistan and work with current govt ,change our policy from one of confrontation to that of adjustment and vision towards peace and sustainable growth and development.
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Amicable
Feb 05, 2016 05:23pm
@Ailly Agree
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Mudassar
Feb 05, 2016 05:39pm
As Pakistanis we should focus on improving the situation in Pakistan and life of Pakistanis. We have enough of our own problems to solve. We are facing an existential threat from extremists. Imagine what we will do with addition of another 12 million population with generally poor education, low skills, poor work ethics and poverty ? It's time that we understand that a lot of water has gone down the jhelum, chenab and sutlej; and its time to really focus on nation building before it is too late.
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Yousuf
Feb 05, 2016 05:59pm
Pakistan has its own problem. Infact, in many parts of Pakistan, situation is worse than Kashmir....acute poverty, no infrastructure, violence and no security at all. In Karachi, more people get shooted for mobile snatching, kidnapping, extortion everyday than in Kashmir. And Karachi is biggest city of Pakistan.
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Azhar Irfan
Feb 05, 2016 06:13pm
Thanks Pakistan for supporting us, but we need more concrete vision and plan to liberate Kashmir from occupation, just raising this issue in international fora will achieve nothing as world has more pressing issues and nobody cares for what happens to Kashmiris or even if their is a nuclear war in south Asia, west and china will say good riddance.
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lafanga
Feb 05, 2016 06:13pm
Ordinary Pakistanis do not realize the importance of their jugular vein , army should spread awareness as civilian govt is no good in any matter of any importance to the nation.
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Pervez - a Peaceful Pakistani
Feb 05, 2016 06:53pm
@lafanga, What jugular vein are you talking about? No offense Kashmiris, but we have wasted 70 years in the name of Kashmir, and look at where we stand today. I don't understand this madness. We can only sympathize with Kashmiris, but we have more pressing issues at home. Balochistan is badly burning, and we need to focus our attention there. Now some parts of Sindh are experiencing uneasiness with discrimination and lack of progress. South Punjab is a state within a state run by all extremists. We really are on the verge of collapse and you think Kashmir is our Jugular vein?
In a proxy war with India we have no chance - they have much more resources than us, and have World support. I also doubt that they don't want this proxy war to get over. And we are walking into their trap. The lady at the end of the video has rightly said, hum khud langde lule hai. First let's cure ourselves.
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Truth
Feb 05, 2016 07:22pm
@ijaz kashmiri They are realists...and not living in the hope of something that will have no impact on their lives either way.
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Truth
Feb 05, 2016 07:26pm
@Cheels now that is realist....I totally agree with you.
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Fahim Khan
Feb 05, 2016 07:26pm
We must support the just cause within legal means but there should not be a holiday
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Nadeem kashmiri
Feb 05, 2016 07:42pm
@all indians and pakistanis.No matter how much you people would fight for kashmir but reality lies within the fact that only kashmiries get bleeded on both sides.You people are playing with we kashmiries just like as football.We kashmiries have enough potential to liberate ourselves from indian occupation and for that we have already gave 1 lakh sacrifices,are giving and would give our blood to our kashmir untill it is not liberated from indian occupation. we kashmiries have such caliber to do so and we will do it inshallah.
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Hassan
Feb 05, 2016 07:46pm
Its basically the Hindustanis that dont support Kashmir. The Pakistanis from all main provinces do.
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gkthetchie- Indian
Feb 05, 2016 08:14pm
@Pervez - a Peaceful Pakistani
As a Indian I fully agree with this view. In india also we have practically wasted a LOT of money and energy on Kashmir and hatred. Still Kashmir issue is 'unresolved'.
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Vikram Khanna
Feb 05, 2016 08:20pm
Kashmiris are smart people. They realize that their children and grandchildren have a better future as Indian citizens
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Leo
Feb 05, 2016 08:46pm
It's business for most of the politicians on both sides to keep this issue alive. To travel as peace ambassadors and eat good food in Lahore and Delhi and come back only to go back again!!
How can a dispute not be solved in 68 long years? Heart goes out to the innocent people and the military ..getting killed for sheer selfishness of the rulers.
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Secularist
Feb 05, 2016 09:08pm
@Zak You should watch the video once more and wake up to reality, my friend. No point in burying your head in the sand.
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Zak
Feb 05, 2016 09:15pm
This video does not represent the feeling of pakistani for kashmir. Ask a tamil or an Assamese and he won't know, why india is occupying kashmir. As long as kashmiris know we are supporting them till they get their UN plebiscite, that's all that matters.
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Zak
Feb 05, 2016 09:21pm
@Secularist you should watch kashmiris flying our flag, cheering our team, watching our news. That, is the true reality , you need to wake up to, because it won't go away, however much you stick your head in the sand.
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Abbas Naqvi
Feb 05, 2016 09:33pm
We have fought two wars over Kashmir. It remains as the bone of contention between India and Pakistan. It's a major hurdle in the way of peace between the two South Asian neighbors. It has now become a nuclear flashpoint. UNSC resolutions on Kashmir are in the archives and cannot be implemented due to India's continued intransigence. The International Community has failed to tackle the Kashmir issue. So where does our strategy of liberating Kashmir stand? It is a political issue which requires the leadership in the two countries to open a dialogue based on mutual trust and confidence to reach a just solution to the Kashmir dispute acceptable to all sides including the Kashmiris. Let there be a true spirit to bring peace and progress to our people.
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Arvind Ajimal
Feb 05, 2016 11:21pm
@Lafanga..... I read an article in NYT about how majority of small scale industries in Pakistan were losing the battle of survival. And also how once a forte, the cotton, the growers were now moving out of loss making cultivation as mills were buying from other countries including big orders to India. This has nothing to do with Kashmir but would go to these people either owners or workers and tell the same importance of Kashmir and Kashmir day as you are asking army/defense setup to do. Will they be more concerned?
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Desi Gal
Feb 06, 2016 12:45am
@shireen - baramulla kashmir Congratulations! You are on the right track! Get back the Pandits and develop a tolerant and vibrant society and you will see you have immense potential to grow with India. And believe me, India will not invest because you have got the Hindus back, but because you want to live as Indians irrespective of religion.
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Saad Z Siddiqi
Feb 06, 2016 01:31am
Most of the people in Pakistan enjoy it as vacation day. Shut down the country for a day and add to losses.... Sad affairs.
To show solidarity work hard dont have to shut down the country as a public holiday.
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david
Feb 06, 2016 01:33am
Most of educated and informed Kashmiris that met don't want to part of either Pakistan or India.
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Divergence
Feb 06, 2016 02:09am
A lip paying service, with no vision as to how to resolve this issue which has paramount influence on the lives of Pakistanis and Kashmiris.
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Rashid Sultan
Feb 06, 2016 02:24am
waste of time.
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Mobashar Ahmad
Feb 06, 2016 02:40am
@Sonny Afridi...We can keep standing for Kashmiri people as we want, but of no avail. We are all talk but have no guts or means to achieve what Kashmiris want. We should, as a nation, refrain from giving them false hope. Have a good day.
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Raees
Feb 06, 2016 04:16am
So disappointing to see comments here against the solidarity of Kashmiris. Those who have commented probably have no understanding of the true situation. Our Kashmiri brothers and sisters have sacrificed their lives for freedom and to be part of the original Pakistan of 1947. Majority of them still want to be with Pakistan and I know it because I have lived with them for years here in the UK. They love Pakistan, they love Pak Army and our people and we have consistently let them down...shameful, tearful...these days people have so much information but no real knowledge.
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Ramesh Sharma
Feb 06, 2016 07:46am
@Nadeem kashmiri So you don't want to liberate Pakistani occupied Kashmir?
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raj
Feb 06, 2016 08:28am
@Pervez - a Peaceful Pakistani : Rightly said. Greed leads to self destruction.
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Boss man
Feb 06, 2016 09:56am
Kashmir problem will be gone once India and Pakistan become friends and trust each other. That is the solution to Kashmir. Kashmir is like a neighbor caught in between two neighbors quarreling. When both neighbors can be at peace, Kashmir will be at peace.
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Sunil
Feb 06, 2016 10:06am
India observes Kashmir solidarity day "everyday".
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saminuk
Feb 06, 2016 11:04am
@Zak
Let us be more specific here. It is the Kashmiri Muslim who flies the Pakistani flag. Not all Kashmiris are Muslims you know. Dividing people in the name of religion is not correct. It has never worked in the past and it will never work in the future.
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Realist
Feb 06, 2016 11:05am
It means holiday.
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zakir proud indian kasmiri
Feb 06, 2016 11:19am
@Pervez - a Peaceful Pakistani I appreciate your comment.
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Wadud Singh Raheeb
Feb 06, 2016 11:40am
Mashallah. I wish Kashmir can join Pakistan and we Northern Indians can be rid of this problem and have peace with our cousins in Pakistan and central and west Asia again.
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R S Chakravarti
Feb 06, 2016 11:46am
@Zak The demonstrators also fly IS flags. Comment?
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R S Chakravarti
Feb 06, 2016 11:56am
@Abbas Naqvi I agree with your last two sentences. A solution should be found which ends terrorism and human rights violations and reverses the ethnic cleansing of 1990. As an Indian, I think a secular state is better than one which favours one religion.
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R S Chakravarti
Feb 06, 2016 11:58am
@gkthetchie- Indian As a 64 year old Indian, I am not aware of any official Indian policy of hatred.
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prafulla shrivastava
Feb 06, 2016 12:11pm
@Yousuf
Dear Yousuf, All these conditions can be improved if your administration takes care of law & order, education, good health of common man. If people are educated they can generate services for common man, it is more important. If all the people are fed good, they will never go for violence. India has simply grown due to focus on education & technology. Even Pakistan should do the same, if you ignore internal conflict & upgrade life of common man, it will be good.
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Guest66
Feb 06, 2016 01:05pm
@Pervez - a Peaceful Pakistani , Dear Pervez , me as a Kashmiri ( from ancestral link of the past 5 generations ) YET a Born Pakistani , totally agree with your comments and give my vote to forge ahead Pakistan Only theme as the reality where there will Never be a Kashmir (as a whole ) for Pakistan . Regional powers and World Political map Does Not have this theme so lets stop worrying about for another 70 years of future where we had already paid very heavy price for the past 70 years already .
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prafulla shrivastava
Feb 06, 2016 01:45pm
@Sonny Afridi
If you can liberate yourself from poverty, illiteracy, terrorism etc, that will be enough.
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AKKS
Feb 06, 2016 03:18pm
@Zak 'Hum Khud langda lule hain'. It sums up everything ! Nothing more to say!
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Muneer
Feb 06, 2016 05:51pm
Pakistanis as a lot support Kashmir, and Kashmiris deserve freedom from Indian atrocities.
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JUST HUMAN
Feb 06, 2016 06:01pm
@Sunil
YOU SAID IT MAN
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JUST HUMAN
Feb 06, 2016 06:05pm
THE POLL AT THE END SAYS ALL. THERE ARE MORE URGENT AND REAL ISSUES AT HAND TO BE SOLVED. If Pakistan can't look after it's people , what will it do with kashmir?
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Shambhu
Feb 06, 2016 07:18pm
@Desi Gal
you are absolutely right. India is investing in kashmir not because of their religion. India wants to develop every state. Kashmiris only need to join India's growth story whole heartedly, and the future will be theirs. Even today, central government spending per person is highest in kashmir compared to other states.
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Muneer
Feb 06, 2016 07:31pm
@Shambhu Maybe thats the reason why we usually hear Kashmiris chanting "We want freedom" in the streets of srinagar and in the rest of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Its about time that the Indian government gets away with its arrogant attitude and let the people of Kashmir valley decide.
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Usman
Feb 06, 2016 07:35pm
The best comment was from the guy stating "Kashmir is already ours, we don`t need to celebrate Kashmir day" . True that
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Onkar Parmar
Feb 06, 2016 08:30pm
@AHA maximum marks to you!
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forestdump
Feb 06, 2016 11:44pm
@AKKS the only thing that sums up is lies, and everyone knows this.
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forestdump
Feb 06, 2016 11:50pm
enjoyed all of the hopeful staged comments... go regroup now. send my regards to rita
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Rohit
Feb 07, 2016 11:18am
Most of the educated kashmiri muslims are working in all over india on good positions. A proporous life. Only un educated ppl gets incited on the name of religion.
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Anwar ali
Feb 07, 2016 05:14pm
it is considered only as a holiday but about 90% of pakistani don't know for what purpose
it is observed. I think we should not give holiday on these occasions instead we should make aware our young generation in schools and colleges on this day and think what should we do and what can we do for Kashmire brothers.
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