October 27: A blackest day in Kashmir’s history marked withmammoth protest rallies, condemning IIOJK illegal annexation

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Like other parts of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, the Kashmiris settled in Khyber Pakthunkhwa on Friday observed Kashmir black day by holding big protest rallies and demonstrations, condemning the illegal annexation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir.

From Chitral to Waziristan and Kohistan to Khyber, big protest demonstrations and rallies attended by people of all walks of life were held in all 37 districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa where people expressed solidarity with oppressed Kashmiris of IIOJK, who faced unending brutal oppression, human rights abuses and organized state terrorism for the last 76 years with steadfastness and bravery.

Every year, the people of Kashmir observed October 27 as black day to condemn the illegal annexation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir and remained to the world community to fulfill its pledge by granting them right of self determination as per UN Security Council resolutions.

Protest demonstrations and rallies were held at Peshawar, DI Khan, Chitral, Abbottabad, Mardan, Swat, Khyber, Manshera, Kohat, Bannu, Charsadda, Dir Lower, Malakanad, Hangu, Bajaur and others districts of KP where people raised placards and banners inscribed with slogans like ‘Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan and India Go Out of Kashmir”.

On October 27, 1947, Indian occupied forces had illegally invaded Jammu and Kashmir against the will of Kashmiris, Indian Independence Act and UN Charter and since then Kashmiris observed the black day to express solidarity with Kashmiries of the held valley.

In Peshawar, a big protest demonstration started from Chief Minister Secretariat paraded up to Governor House Peshawar. The participants of the central rally led by Governor KP Haji Ghulam Ali and caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan were holding placards and banners condemning the illegal annexation of Kashmir by India.

Besides others, caretaker provincial ministers, advisers, assistants, civil society members, lawyers, officials, journalists and general public participated in the rally with full throated slogans “India Go out of Kashmir,”. The rally condemned organized state terrorism and human rights abuses at IIOJK and urged International Community including UN Security Council to implement its resolutions on Kashmir.

Misal Khan, a retired information officer said that fascist Modi regime has broken all records of atrocities and organized state terrorism at IIOJK where Indian occupation forces were using human rights abuses against women and children as a weapon of war in a bid to suppress the indigenous freedom movement there but failed.

He said unlimited restrictions on free media imposed by the RSS backed Modi regime in IIOJK was meant to hide its forces Israel like war crimes at IIOJK. He said nearly one million Indian occupied forces have unleashed terror and killed hundreds of thousands of Kashmirs in fake encounters and extra judicially as evident of young freedom fighter Burhan Wani and jailed hurriet leader Yasin Malik in a fake case.

Farooq Rehman, Chairman Jummu and Kashmir Peoples’ Freedom League said October 27 is the blackest day in the history of Kashmir as on this day India annexed IIOJK illegally after making a deep rooted conspiracy with the support of Mahraja Hari Singh. He said the people of Kashmir wanted to join Pakistan as per Indo-Pakistan partition plan and started freedom struggle against Maharaja Hari Singh and illegal occupation of India after the latter illegaly entered in troops at Srinagar on October 27, 1947. “The Maharaja’s authority over Jummu and Kashmir state was officially ended on August 15, 1947 and people of Kashmir was left with no choice but to stood up against Mahraja Hari Singh’s illegal move and India’s forced occupation.

Manzoorul Haq, former ambassador said that on January 1, 1948, it was India that brought the Kashmir issue before the UN, where it was agreed by a number of resolutions that the destiny of Jummu and Kashmir would be decided by plebiscite under UN supervision. Later India had betracked from all UN resolutions and declined to hold the plebiscite in Kashmir that was share violation of UN charter. On August 5, 2019, he said India abrogated special status of IIOJK attempting to rob Kashmiris of their history, language and identity.

The August 5 illegal acts were done with mala-fide intentions, meticulous planning and nefarious designs, he said, adding All the Hurriyat leadership was incarcerated and even politicians like Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who in the past were considered pro Indian government, were arrested. Thousands of young Kashmiris ranging from 15 to 35 years were picked from their homes and locked in different prisons of India and most of them continue to languish there in inhuman conditions. ‘
“The goal was to create a fear-psychosis within the population of held Kashmir, and to convey the message that any person showing semblance of resistance will be dealt with brutal force.” He said great Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani were buried at night after Indian forces snatched his body from his family and Kashmiris were not allowed to attend funeral of their beloved leader.

Farooq Rehman said that anybody writing against the occupation forces based on facts is slapped with draconian Unlawful Public Activity Act (ULPA) and subsequently imprisoned without any judicial reprieve. He said cordon and search operations are held on a daily basis in all areas of occupied land to create an atmosphere of fear and to arrest or kill youth. During this process, he said properties are destroyed besides human rights abuses against women and youngsters at IIOJK exposed Indian’s forces war crimes against humanity.

He claimed that all the top-level government positions are held by Hindus from India at IIOJK where local Kashmiri officials are being marginalized. With the influx of a large population of Hindus from India, local Kashmiris find it difficult to compete even for the lower positions in the government. Rehmani said institutions that were previously under the jurisdiction of IOK (Indian occupied Kashmir) Government are now run by New Delhi and there is assiduous effort to increase the number of Hindu applicants into Medical and Engineering colleges.

He said banks in held Jammu Kashmir that used to provide an avenue of employment and funds for the local population has been heavily Indianized and filled with Hindus from India while any financial transaction taking place in administrative sector has to go through Reserve Bank of India besides destruction of agriculture land through construction of unnecessary roads.

The apple production being the main source of income for occupied Kashmiris, is systematically being decimated by many oppressive measures like delaying the harvest and impeding the transportation so that fruit gets destroyed in the process and Kashmiris suffered economic losses while revenue records are being tampered to change the ownership of commercial properties from Muslims to Hindus of India in the held valley. (APP)