ISLAMABAD: As Indian forces further tightened the strict clampdown in held Kashmir ahead of its independence day, a black day will be observed across Pakistan and on both sides of the Line of Control on Thursday to protest against the brutalities and human rights abuses in India-held Kashmir.

The decision to mark India’s independence day as black day was taken at the National Security Commit­tee meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, last week in the wake of the Indian move to revoke Art­icle 370 that gave occupied Kashmir an autonomous status and to split the held Valley into two territories.

Anti-India rallies followed by protest demonstrations in all towns and cities of Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control will be the day’s highlight, an AJK government spokesman told APP on Wednesday. In Mirpur, a procession to be taken out from district courts premises will pass through major streets of the city.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar appealed to the people to come out in large numbers to participate in a rally being organised in Lahore to tell the world that the people of Pakistan and Kashmir were inseparable.—

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2019