Pak journalists observe ‘Black Day’ on India’s Republic Day, seek resolution of Kashmir issue

To mark the Republic Day of India as “black day”, the Pakistani journalists organised a protest demonstration here outside the National Press Club (NPC) to condemn the continued “gross human rights violations” committed by Indian forces in Kashmir.

The protest demonstration was among others attended by journalists, AJK resistance camp and civil society from Kashmir, Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan, a statement issued here said.

The demonstrators raised voices against the molestation and killing of an eight-year-old girl Asifa in Kathua district of Jammu and demanded that the culprits should be punished for this crime against humanity.

They also raised voice against continuous crackdown, operations, house-to-house searches, harassment and continuous “illegal” detention of Hurriyat leaders and activists by Indian forces. They demanded immediate release of Hurriyat leaders including Shabir Ahmed Shah, Masarat Alam Bhat, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Pir Saifullah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Dr Qasim Faktoo, Raja Meraj-ud-Din Kalwal, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Shahid-ul-Islam, Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori, Muhammad Ramzan Khan and a 22-year old photo journalist Kamran Yusuf who is languishing in Tihar Jail, Delhi.

The protesters also demanded immediate end to the ‘Operation All Out’ launched by Indian army “under the guise of which the Indian occupation forces were launching crackdown operations and house-to-house raids in cities and villages of Srinagar, Islamabad (Anantnag), Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla , Budgam and Ganderbal districts to intimidate people”.

The participants were of the view that “India should be ashamed of calling itself a republic state as it has snatched basic democratic rights of the people of Kashmir”.

“Kashmiris observe Indian Republic Day as black day to remind India as well as the world that Kashmir still was oldest unresolved issue in UN agenda despite promises made by India’s forefathers to give Kashmiris the righ to decide their future through fair and free plebiscite,” the statement said, adding that the participants stressed on the need for implementing United Nations Resolutions for resolving the lingering Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of its people.

The protestors also urged Pakistan to continue its effective role for the resolution of Kashmir issue and accord the resolution of Kashmir issue a top priority when engaging in bilateral negotiations with India for improving relations between the two countries.

“Pakistan should also intensify its efforts at world forums for the resolution of Kashmir issue and raise voice for punishing those who have been committing gross human rights violations in Kashmir,” they said and stressed the need for immediate resolution of Kashmir – which has virtually become a nuclear flashpoint – for the better future of Kashmiris, the people of the region and for all the world.

The protesters also said the European Union, United Nations and Muslim countries should send their delegations to Kashmir “to observe the gross human rights violations and expose the (real) face of India”.

Source Link:https://kashmirreader.com/2018/01/27/pak-journalists-observe-black-day-seek-resolution-of-kashmir-issue/