MUZAFFARABAD: Kashmiris worldwide will stage protest rallies and demonstrations on Sunday, condemning the deployment of Indian troops in Srinagar on October 27, 1947—a date that marked the beginning of the occupation of much of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, bringing with it severe atrocities and ongoing human rights violations against its freedom-seeking inhabitants.

The main event will be held in the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) under the auspices of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a coalition of anti-India organisations advocating for the freedom of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir on political and diplomatic fronts.

“October 27 is the darkest day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, wherever they may be, because it initiated the occupation of their homeland against their will, unleashing a reign of terror in the occupied territory that continues in its worst forms at the hands of India’s oppressive forces, backed by draconian laws,” said Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, chief of Pasban-i-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir (PHJK), a constituent of the APHC.

PHJK is an organisation of post-1989 migrants and consistently holds anti-India demonstrations on key days throughout the year.

“Since this unlawful landing, Kashmiris have always marked October 27 as Black Day, with relentless calls for the withdrawal of occupation forces,” Mr Ghazali added.

He said that the protest gathering would be held at Burhan Wani Chowk, a busy roundabout named after a young Kashmiri commander killed by the Indian army in July 2016.

Participants, including women, will wear black armbands and hoist black flags as a mark of protest against the Indian military occupation, he said.

“They will reaffirm their demand that India withdraw its troops and allow Kashmiris to freely determine the future of their homeland,” he added.

Later, they will also march from Burhan Wani Chowk to Garhi Pan Chowk, he said.

Meanwhile, in his message on the eve of ‘Black Day,’ AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq maintained that India had illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947, disregarding international law and principles of justice.

“Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control, as well as those worldwide, have never accepted India’s illegal invasion and occupation, which opened floodgates of bloodshed, violence, oppression, and repression for them,” he said.

The AJK premier recalled that the Indian government had itself approached the UN Security Council in 1948, promising to grant Kashmiris their right to self-determination, only to later renounce its commitments and refuse to implement the UNSC resolutions guaranteeing the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to self-determination.

The so-called largest democracy has ceaselessly used its repressive state apparatus to crush the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle but has failed to break their resolve or spirit of freedom.”

Expressinghis gratitude to Pakistan for its consistent support to the just cause of Kashmiris, the AJK premier urged the United Nations to take practical steps to implement its resolutions on the disputed Himalayan region and to help halt the ongoing oppression in the India occupied territory.

Meanwhile, the state-owned AJK Television has produced a special play commemorating India’s illegal invasion and occupation of Kashmir. Written by Shahzad Lolabi, a renowned Kashmiri journalist and playwright known for consistently raising awareness about the Kashmir issue through cultural events nationwide, the play will air on both AJK TV and PTV Home on Sunday night, according to its producer-director and AJK TV’s General Manager, Shahid Cheema.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024