KARACHI: Rallies, demonstrations, debates, seminars, tableaux and other programmes were held in many cities and towns of Sindh on Sunday to observe a ‘Black Day’ to condemn Indian forces’ illegal occupation of Jammu & Kashmir.

In Karachi, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) held a rally and vehemently condemned Indian cruelty and atrocities in the occupied territory. APHC leaders called upon the world community to play its due role in resolving the issue.

Addressing the rally outside the Karachi Press Club, former president and prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Mohammed Yaqoob Khan, Convener of APHC Ghulam Mohammed Safi, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi, Jamat-i-Islami leader Mohammed Hussain Mahenti, MQM-Pakistan MNA Aminul Haq and others said that Pakistan had always raised its voice for the innocent people of occupied Kashmir at all forums.

They said that time had come to take serious steps to resolve the longstanding issue.

Indian forces had been violating human rights and killing innocent people there, they said, and demanded that the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be given their right to self-determination.

The rally was joined by leaders and activists of various political and religious parties, besides people from all walks of life.

Pictorial exhibition

A pictorial exhibition depicting Indian barbarism in occupied Jammu & Kashmir was held at the Arts Council on Sunday.

Sardar Yaqoob Khan, Ghulam Mohammed Safi and MNA Aminul Haq were among those who visited the exhibition.

Later, talking to the media, Sardar Yaqoob said that the Modi-led government was committing crimes in the occupied Kashmir but the morale of the oppressed people was high.

He said the people of occupied and Azad Jammu & Kashmir territories were thankful to the people of Pakistan, who had arranged this exhibition to give a strong message to the whole world.

He said that the people and government of Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiri brethren.

Meanwhile, rallies and demonstrations were held in all district headquarters of Hyder­abad, Sukkur, Mirpur­khas, Sanghar, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kandh­kot-Kashmore, Qambar Shahdad­kot, Larkana and other districts on Sunday to express solidarity with the people of India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Debates and seminars were held in schools, colleges and universities across Sindh to highlight Indian brutalities and inhuman acts against the people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2024