- Pakistan observes Kashmir Black Day with renewed resolve for freedom of IIOJK, terming Oct 27 ‘darkest day’ in Kashmir’s history
- President Zardari urges UN to hold India accountable for grave human rights violations
- PM Shehbaz says peace in South Asia impossible without Kashmir resolution
ISLAMABAD: The national leadership—including President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif—on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unflinching political, moral, and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people, declaring that lasting peace and stability in South Asia would remain elusive without the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
They also called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations and global human rights organizations, to hold India accountable for its grave and systematic human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), urging an immediate end to the ongoing atrocities in the occupied territory.
The statements came as Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Kashmiri communities across the world observe October 27 (Monday) as Kashmir Black Day — marking the day in 1947 when Indian occupation forces landed in Srinagar and forcibly annexed the territory in blatant violation of international law and the principles of partition.
PM Shehbaz: ‘Kashmir remains the world’s longest occupation’
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, said that “every year, the 27th of October marks the darkest day in the history of Kashmir.”
“It was on this day, seventy-eight years ago, that Indian occupation forces landed in Srinagar and annexed it — a tragic chapter in human history that continues to this day. Ever since that fateful day, India continues to deny the Kashmiri people their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in numerous resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he added.
The prime minister said that for nearly eight decades, the people of IIOJK had endured immense hardship, persecution, and oppression. “We salute their indomitable spirit, courage, and resilience in the face of fear and tyranny. Their unwavering resolve to attain their just right to self-determination remains undiminished,” he remarked.
Referring to India’s actions following the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the premier said New Delhi had intensified its illegal and unilateral measures aimed at altering the demography and political status of the occupied territory. “In addition to human rights abuses, massive curbs have been imposed on freedom of movement and expression,” he said.
“By imposing draconian laws, India has unleashed a systematic campaign of violence and brutality to silence legitimate political voices. The unlawful incarceration of Kashmiri leaders, activists, and journalists under fabricated charges reflects the ugliest face of Indian extremism,” he added.
The prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir “remains clear, consistent, and principled.”
“As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have always highlighted the plight of my Kashmiri brothers and sisters before the international community and echoed their calls for freedom from Indian occupation,” he said.
“I wish to assure the Kashmiri people that they are not alone in their struggle. The 240 million people of Pakistan stand resolutely beside them,” he stressed.
“We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will never relent in our commitment to the Kashmir cause until justice is done and the promise of self-determination — pledged by the international community — is finally fulfilled. InshaAllah, that day is not far,” the premier concluded.
President Zardari: ‘UN must hold India accountable for its crimes’
President Asif Ali Zardari, in his message, called upon the international community — especially the United Nations — to hold India accountable for its “grave and systematic human rights violations” in IIOJK and to “actively work towards the resolution of this long-festering dispute.”
“The United Nations, in particular, owes it to the Kashmiri people,” the president said, adding that lasting peace and stability in South Asia hinged upon a just and durable solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
He said that on October 27, 1947, Indian forces entered Srinagar “in blatant violation of international law, moral principles, and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” marking the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in modern history.
“Since then, generations of innocent men, women, and children have endured unimaginable suffering under Indian occupation — marked by violence, repression, and denial of fundamental rights,” he observed.
President Zardari said that Kashmir Black Day was observed every year to honor the “valiant struggle and sacrifices” of the Kashmiri people who continued to resist tyranny. “Despite decades of Indian brutality, their spirit of resistance remains unbroken,” he emphasized.
He noted that after August 5, 2019, India had further intensified its repressive campaign by revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, imposing a military siege, demolishing properties as ‘collective punishment,’ and enforcing laws that stripped Kashmiris of their fundamental freedoms.
“The occupied territory remains under severe restrictions on movement, communication, and assembly, while fake encounters, custodial torture, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances continue to terrorize civilians,” he said.
President Zardari also warned that India was attempting to “turn Kashmiris into a minority in their own homeland” through demographic engineering and illegal settlement plans.
Amir Muqam: ‘Black Day a reminder of India’s illegal occupation’
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON Engr. Amir Muqam said that October 27 was being observed as “Black Day” across Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and by Kashmiri communities worldwide to condemn India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference at Aiwan-e-Iqbal alongside All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders, he said that the day marked India’s forcible occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of the partition plan, human rights, and UN resolutions.
Paying tribute to Kashmiri martyrs, the minister said that over 8,316 people have been killed in fake encounters and detentions, 22,000 women widowed, 1,916 children orphaned, and 11,229 women subjected to assault, while more than 100,000 houses had been destroyed under Indian occupation.
“More than 900,000 Indian troops have turned the occupied valley into a prison,” he said, urging the global community to ensure implementation of UN resolutions for the freedom of Kashmiris.
Muqam lauded Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts to highlight the Kashmir cause globally and reiterated that Pakistan would continue its moral, political, and diplomatic support until the Kashmiri struggle reached its logical conclusion.
He also announced that one-minute silence would be observed at 10 a.m. nationwide, followed by solidarity rallies in Pakistan and AJK.
To a question about AJK’s political situation, he said that although the AJK Prime Minister was an honest man, he had failed to stabilize governance, making a change inevitable. The PML-N, he added, would sit in opposition benches.
Earlier, APHC leader Syed Faiz Ahmad Nakshbandi thanked the Government and people of Pakistan for their unwavering support, saying that “Pakistan’s media serves as our pen and eyes, conveying the truth of Kashmir’s freedom struggle to the world.”
Law Minister Tarar: ‘October 27 remains the darkest day’
Federal Minister for Law, Justice, and Human Rights Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that October 27, 1947, remained the darkest day in Jammu and Kashmir’s history, marking the start of decades of Indian oppression.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering moral, political, and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people, calling upon the international community to take notice of India’s grave human rights violations in IIOJK.
“The people of Kashmir have been struggling valiantly for over seven decades for their UN-recognized right to self-determination, and Pakistan will continue to stand by them until they achieve justice, freedom, and dignity,” he concluded.
