The Sindh government will observe Kashmir Black Day on Tuesday (today) with rallies, demonstrations and other events across the province to express solidarity with Kashmiris and highlight their struggle for the right to self-determination. This was announced at a joint press conference on Monday by the provincial government's spokespersons Sadia Javed, Sumita Afzal Syed, Syeda Tahseen Abidi, Sukhdev Hemnani and Mustafa Baloch at the information department's Directorate of Social Media in Clifton.
Sadia said India had launched its military aggression in Kashmir on October 27, 1947, and Pakistan observes the day as Kashmir Black Day to condemn the occupation. She said Kashmiris have been struggling for their right to self-determination for nearly eight decades.
She said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has consistently raised the Kashmir issue at international forums. PPP founder and the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had presented Kashmir's case at the United Nations and described the territory as Pakistan's jugular vein, she added.
She said that former PM Benazir Bhutto, President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have also consistently advocated the Kashmiri cause at international forums. Sadia said India claims to be a secular state, yet allegations of persecution of Muslims and other minorities continue to emerge.
She said that reports of minority communities being targeted have surfaced in different parts of India, from Kashmir to Manipur. She added that Kashmir Black Day would be observed throughout Sindh, with various programmes planned to register a protest against the situation in Kashmir.
Sumita said that the day's activities would begin with a programme at Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's mausoleum, where participants would observe a minute's silence. A rally will also be held from Peoples Chowrangi to the mausoleum, she said, and added that provincial ministers Nasir Hussain Shah and Syed Ali would lead the procession.
She said rallies would also be held in the headquarters of all the districts across the province, while debates and other competitions would be organised at schools, colleges and universities to raise awareness about the plight of Kashmiris and express solidarity with them.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Muhammad Shakeel Dar will also address the programme, she added. Tahseen said Kashmir Black Day is not merely an occasion for mourning but also an opportunity to awaken the conscience of international institutions and organisations.
She regretted that the Kashmir dispute remains unresolved despite the adoption of the relevant resolutions, while international commitments have failed to ensure an end to the alleged human rights violations in the territory. Appealing to international organisations to ensure the implementation of the resolutions on Kashmir, she said that their credibility would be undermined if they fail to deliver justice to oppressed people.
Baloch said the PPP would strive to ensure that the protests are conducted peacefully. He said that the message to the international community is that Kashmiris are not alone, and that every Pakistani stands in solidarity with them.
He said Pakistan cannot remain silent over the restrictions on internet access and the alleged denial of fundamental human rights in Kashmir. The PPP has always stood by Kashmiris, and would continue to support them, he added.
Hemnani said India claims to be a secular democratic nation, yet its actions in occupied Kashmir expose the hollowness of its claims regarding human rights and democratic values.