ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar expressed his “unwavering support” for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir territory as Pakistan observes a public holiday today, Monday, to show solidarity with Kashmiris.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between Pakistan and India since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both Pakistan and India rule parts of the Himalayan territory, but claim it in full and have fought two out of three wars over the disputed region.
Pakistan has repeatedly called for the right of self-determination for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir and urged New Delhi to hold a plebiscite in line with the resolutions of the UN Security Council.
“He [Kakar] said that the ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ was annually observed on the 5th February to express Pakistan’s unwavering support to the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for realization of their right to self-determination,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said, quoting Kakar.
Every year on Feb. 5, people from all walks of life hold demonstrations, form human chains and organize events in many parts of the country to express their support for the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
In connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day, a walk is scheduled to be held in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad today, which would see participation from cabinet members, parliamentarians and people from different walks of life, according to the state-run Radio Pakistan.
In his message for Kashmir Solidarity Day, Pakistan’s President Dr. Arif Alvi said Kashmiris have been struggling for their rights for the past 76 years.
“Today, IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] is one of the most militarized zones in the world. Kashmiris are living in an environment of fear and intimidation,” Alvi said.
In December last year, India’s Supreme Court upheld a 2019 decision by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke special autonomous status for Indian-administered Kashmir and set a deadline of Sept. 30 next year for state polls to be held.
The Modi government’s repealing of Article 370 of the constitution in 2019 allowed people from the rest of the country to have the right to acquire property in Indian-administered Kashmir and settle there permanently.
Kashmiris, rights groups and critics of the Indian government had termed the move an attempt to dilute the demographics of the only Muslim-majority Indian state.
It also heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, with Islamabad vowing not to normalize ties with New Delhi until it reverses its August 5 move.
