ISLAMABAD: Proposed in 1989 and officially stamped into the calendar in 2004, Kashmir Solidarity Day is observed in Pakistan every year on 5th February to express unity with the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
This year, the day arrives at a critical time for Kashmir since a chunk of its population has been under a security lockdown and Internet blockade for over six months after India knocked down Article 370 of its constitution in August 2019 to strip the disputed Himalayan region of its limited autonomy.
What followed is six months of heartbreaking coverage of a region where residents have found themselves imprisoned in their own homes.
Today, #KashmirSolidarityDay is trending in Pakistan and a number of the country’s high-profile politicians and government functionaries have spoken out.
The official Twitter account of Pakistan’s government maintained: “Kashmir Solidarity Day is being observed today to express wholehearted support of Pakistani nation to the struggle of Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination under United Nations resolutions.”
President Dr. Arif Alvi tweeted a video of himself speaking in support of Kashmiri people, captioned with a quote from his speech: “We pay homage to martyrs of Kashmir 2day. We resolve that this land is our land & the people are our people.”
Alvi added: “India can kill but cannot suppress the will of the people. They shall rise again and again and again.”
India and the ongoing siege of Kashmir have dominated the sentiments of today, with many Pakistani leaders asking the international community and the United Nations to do more.
In a series of twelve tweets, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote of his country’s unwavering support for Kashmir and the atrocities and human rights violations of Indian forces on the other side of the Line of Control.
“Today, we observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day to reaffirm our unflinching support for our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who have been subjected to an inhuman lockdown and communications blockade for six months now,” he wrote in his first Tweet.
Khan acknowledged the international community’s outspoken support of Kashmir, saying: “India stands before the world, exposed as a majoritarian and authoritarian polity, trampling upon the basic rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.”
“We urge the international community to play its role in ensuring respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people and averting grave risks to global peace and security posed by India’s belligerent rhetoric and aggressive actions,” he continued.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari also expressed solidarity with Kashmiri people, calling for the world to demand India to comply with UN resolutions on Kashmir and mentioning the horrors Kashmiris have faced under Indian occupation. “Kashmiris have paid a heavy toll in lives lost, women abused & left ‘half widows’, children attacked, youth incarcerated.”
Opposition party member Sherry Rehman tweeted out a photo of an article showing the necessary joining of forces by all political parties in parliament. “Important and powerful message of unity and solidarity from Pakistan’s parliament on #KashmirSolidarityDay. Both Houses, National Assembly and Senate both presented unanimous Resolutions. Despite complete polarity on other issues and deeply contentious sessions on the same day.”
Former UN representative from Pakistan Maleeha Lodhi posted a series of photos dating back years from the UN featuring talks and meetings about Kashmir: “On #KashmirSolidarityDay, as historical recall, this is another picture from the UN archives of one the earliest meetings of the UN Security Council on Occupied Kashmir.”
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aisha Farooqui tweeted Pakistan’s resolute stance on standing shoulder to shoulder with Kashmir. “We will continue to raise our voice for their inalienable right to self-determination #LetKashmirSpeak #KashmirSolidarityDay.”
Journalist Hamid Mir posted a photo of stars with a quote from Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God.”
And everyone’s favorite foreign visitor to Pakistan, Cynthia Richie tweeted of her intent to protest today on behalf of Kashmiris, asking: “I will be out today in support of #KashmirSolidarityDay. How many of you will be joining us?”
