Kashmiris across the Line of Control and world over observed Indian Republic Day, on January 26, as Black Day to protest against continued denial by India of their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
In Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK), the day was marked by complete strike whereas protest rallies and demonstrations were held in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan and world-over. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) had given call for observing the Black Day and was supported by other freedom-loving organizations and leaders.
In IIOJK, the Indian authorities had turned the whole territory into military garrison and had intensified checking and frisking in Srinagar city and other parts of the valley. In Islamabad, the APHC (AJK Chapter) staged a protest in front of the Indian High Commission. The protest was also joined by heads and leaders of various political parties of AJK. Speaking on the occasion, the speakers said India had no right to celebrate its Republic Day in IIOJK, which it had occupied against Kashmiris’ will. APHC-AJK Convener, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, while speaking on the occasion said India had been using brutal tactics to suppress the Kashmiris’ freedom sentiment but miserably failed in its nefarious designs. The protesters were holding black flags and banners and placards with slogans against India and in favour of Kashmir’s freedom from Indian occupation.
Protest rallies were also carried out in Muzaf-farabad and other cities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to mark the day as Black Day. The protesters demanded the world community to break the criminal silence and play its role in stopping Indian state terrorism in IIOJK
Meanwhile, the APHC leaders, in their mes-sages on the day, said that India was not a true democratic country as it had usurped the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people for the past over seven decades, reported Kashmir Media Service (KMS). APHC leaders, including Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Rafia Rasool, Dr Musaib and Muhammad Aqib, said that Modi regime had put the entire IIOJK under military siege to celebrate its Republic Day in the occupied territory. APHC-AJK leaders Shaikh Abdul Mateen and Shamim Shawl in their separate statements in Islamabad said that India had forcibly seized Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 with its military might and since then more than six lakh Kashmiris had been mercilessly killed by the Indian forces. India and its stooges have let lose a reign of terror and turned the Jammu and Kashmir into a big jail and are and pushing the people to wall, the statements added. Former convener APHC (AJK Chapter), Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that the so-called Republic Day of India is rightly characterised as the dark period of India and the people of Kashmir are castigating it as Black Day. Meanwhile, posters were pasted on walls, pillars and electricity poles in Srinagar, calling for observing the Indian Republic Day as Black Day. On the other hand, President People’s Democratic Party and former puppet Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that in order to hoodwink the world community and stage a drama of normalcy on ‘Republic Day’, Indian authorities were forcing shopkeepers to keep their shops open.—KMS
