ISLAMABAD: Kashmir Solidarity Day was observed across the country and elsewhere in the world on Wednesday to draw the world’s attention to the plight of the people of India-held Kashmir who have been facing lockdown and curfew for six months.

Human chains were formed at Kohala, Mangla, Holar and Azad Pattan — the points that link Azad Kashmir with Pakistan — to express solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren.

Rallies, public meetings and seminars were also held to draw the world attention to the grave human rights violations and brutalities committed by the Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris.

Members of the federal and provincial governments joined the citizens at various rallies, public meetings and seminars.

The main event in Islamabad was a rally participated by women from different segments of society, including parliamentarians.

Two resolutions submitted to the United Nations office in Islamabad

They chanted slogans in support of the struggle of Kashmiris for the right to self-determination and criticised the international bodies for their double standards on human rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the occupied valley had been turned into the world’s biggest prison. She said the day was not far off when India will have to end illegal occupation of Kashmir.

After the rally, she submitted two resolutions to the United Nations office in Islamabad to draw its attention to the blatant human rights violations in the occupied valley.

President Dr Arif Ali in his message on the day said: “On August 5, India absolved itself of the last pretence of civility and justice by trying to deprive the Kashmiri people of their very identity. Through its illegal and unilateral actions, India directly contravened the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and tried to further brutalise the Kashmiri people and take additional measures to deny them their legitimate right to self-determination as promised by the international community through those resolutions.”

President Alvi noted that through such actions India has exposed itself as a “sham democracy” in front of the international community. He added that Islamabad will continue to raise the issue of Kashmir at every available forum. “India’s illegal actions of August 5 have further strengthened the bond between the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan,” he observed.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his message said it was imperative to understand that when India undertook its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5 it not only violated the Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, international law as well as its own constitution, it in fact tried to extinguish the very identity of the Kashmiri people and the concept of ‘Kashmiriyat’.

“India hoped that by arbitrarily tampering with the demographic integrity of Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir, it could dampen the spirit of the Kashmiri people, or at the very least, make them compromise on their legitimate right to self-determination. On both counts, India has abjectly failed,” he remarked.

The minister said the international community must do more to support the people of occupied Kashmir. Each additional second on the lockdown clock is a burden on the world’s collective conscience. The international community must act in support of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Kashmiris and urge India to allow the UN fact-finding mission to occupied Kashmir to ascertain the reports of grave human rights violations there. India must allow the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan unhindered access to carry out its duties in occupied Kashmir, he said.

A delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Farooq Rehmani called on Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik addressed a press conference along with him.

Speaking at the presser, Mr Malik urged the government to file a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his accomplices for their crimes against humanity and genocide in occupied Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2020