By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and SAFRON Engineer Amir Muqam, has said that it is shameful for India to call itself a republic despite its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
In his special statement regarding the celebration of India’s Republic Day as a black day, the Federal Minister said that on the one side, India is celebrating Republic Day today, and on the other side, it has usurped the fundamental rights of Kashmiris.
India is committing the worst atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It is regrettable that India has been illegally depriving the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their right to self-determination for more than seven decades and is subjecting them to oppression, violence and barbarity.
Despite these atrocities, the spirit of the Kashmiri people is unbreakable and their struggle for freedom cannot be suppressed.
He said that he calls on the international community to stop India from committing atrocities and human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan will continue to provide full political, diplomatic and moral support to the brave Kashmiri people in their just struggle and right to self-determination.
He said that the United Nations has passed a resolution to grant the Kashmiris the right to self-determination, therefore it is the duty of the international organisation to implement its resolutions and grant the Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
He said that the Indian army is breaking mountains of atrocities in occupied Kashmir and has usurped the political, religious and democratic rights of the Kashmiris.Meanwhile, Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over are observing India’s Republic Day on Sunday as a “Black Day” to protest against continued occupation and human rights abuses in the region. This annual protest is a reiteration of the Kashmiris’ strong indignation and resistance against Indian rule, which has denied them their right to self-determination for over 77 years.
The observance of the Black Day also aims to raise awareness about the continued brutalities and custodial killings of innocent Kashmiris by Indian occupying forces.
In AJK, protest rallies and demonstrations will be held in all ten districts, with a major rally planned in the state metropolis.
Leaders of various political parties, including those in the AJK parliament, will participate in the protest to express solidarity with the people of IIOJK in their struggle for freedom and self-determination, this was reported by APP correspondent from Mirpur on Saturday. Similar protests will also be held in other parts of the world, including Pakistan, to condemn India’s occupation and human rights abuses in Kashmir.
The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called on the international community to take notice of the worsening situation in IIOJK and pressure India to resolve the Kashmir dispute peacefully.
