Kashmiris observe Accession to Pakistan Day across the world

Ag agencies

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world observed the Accession to Pakistan Day on Sunday with a renewed pledge to continue struggle for freedom from Indian occupation and complete merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.

On the occasion of the day, Prime Minister Imran Khan in his message reiterated the resolve to fight for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination, recognised by the United Nations Security Council and under the international law.

In tweets, he wrote, “Today we commemorate the historic occasion of Youm-e-Ilhaq-e-Pakistan, when Kashmiris passed a resolution for accession to Pakistan. We reaffirm our commitment to the Kashmiri people & stand with them in their struggle for self-determination.”

The prime minister emphasised that the Kashmiris’ right of self-determination is recognised by the UNSC and under international law.

“We will continue to fight for justice for Kashmiris as they struggle against the brutal & illegal actions of the Hindutva supremacist Indian govt in IOJ&K. I know that justice will prevail,” he maintained.

A seminar was held under the auspices of All Parties Hurriyat Conference here. Addressing the seminar, Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan said that adoption of Accession to Pakistan resolution had a great significance in the history of Kashmir, because genuine representatives of Kashmir unanimously passed it reflecting the aspiration of Kashmiris even before the inception of Pakistan. He said Kashmir and Pakistan are interconnected with each other in terms of religious, geographical and blood relations. He added that Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the partition of the Sub-Continent. He stressed the need for further projecting the Kashmir issue effectively at the international level and in this regard proposals have already been submitted to the Pakistan government for highlighting the plight of Kashmir people in its true perspective at international level.

It had been suggested to the Pakistan government, he noted, to allow Azad Kashmir government and leaders of All Parties Hurriyat Conference to project the Kashmir case at international level. He said Kashmiri people have fulfilled their responsibility and now it was the responsibility of the Pakistan government to move further in this regard.

He said the political leadership of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir should collectively move forward for achieving the cherished goal of Kashmir liberation. He paid rich tributes to the steadfastness demonstrated by the Hurriyat leaders despite repressions of Indian forces.

On July 19, 1947, genuine representatives of the Kashmiris unanimously passed the resolution of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan during a meeting of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference at the residence of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan in Aabi Guzar area of Srinagar. The historic resolution called for the accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan in view of its existing religious, geographical, cultural and economic proximity to Pakistan and aspirations of millions of Kashmiri Muslims.

The development had come almost a month before the creation of two sovereign states of Pakistan and India under the Partition Plan of the British Indian colony on August 14 and 15, respectively, the same year.

As per the understanding behind the Partition Plan, the princely states were free to accede to either of the two newly established countries. The decision of July 19, 1947 was a testimony to the fact that the people of Kashmir had linked their future with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, an analytical report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service revealed that over 450,000 Kashmiris have laid down their lives for Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s freedom from Indian occupation and its accession to Pakistan during the last over seven decades.

It said the worst kind of Indian brutalities have failed to wipe out the Kashmiris’ love for Pakistan. The report said Indian troops in their continued acts of state terrorism have martyred over 95,630 Kashmiris including 7,141 in custody since January 1989. It said the troops have subjected over 8,000 Kashmiri youth to custodial disappearance, molested over 11,200 women and destroyed as many as 110,334 houses during the period while thousands of Kashmiris still remain lodged in different jails of IOJ&K.

Meanwhile, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Masood Khan said that the independence movement started by the people of Azad Kashmir after the approval of the resolution of accession to Pakistan on July 19, 1947 has reached the destination of independence of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“But India had blocked the path of Mujahideen by sending its troops into Kashmir. India has tried many times to occupy Azad Kashmir but it has never succeeded in its nefarious aims and it will never succeed in the future, God willing,” he said while addressing a conference on “Pakistan Resolution Accession and Our Responsibilities” at National Press Club here.

The event was organised by social organisation BTM Global in collaboration with Tehreek-e-Haq Khudaradit International and National Press Club. He said that India had killed 237,000 Kashmiris since the military occupation in 1947 just because they wanted to join Pakistan.

“An everlasting series of sacrifices is still going on in Occupied Kashmir and Kashmiris are fighting the nine lakh Indian army with full courage, bravery and determination,” he said, and added that Kashmiris have been fighting for independence for the last two centuries and they are determined to continue their struggle till the end.

The president of Azad Kashmir said that at present it is the responsibility of the governments and people of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan to raise their voice at the national and international level against the persecution of the people of Occupied Kashmir and human rights violations there.

“We must tell the world that the Muslims of India and Occupied Kashmir are not safe from the fascist agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the RSS, and this ideology is a major threat to the security and peace of the entire South Asian region,” he said.

Sardar Masood Khan contended that there was a need to launch a campaign of economic sanctions and trade boycott against India..

Speaking on the occasion, Sheharyar Afridi, head of the Parliamentary Special Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, condemned the conversion of the disputed territory of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir into a military cantonment by India and appealed to the United Nations to stop this illegal act and play its role in the grant of right to self-determination to Kashmiris.

He said that despite all the oppression of India, Kashmiris were continuing their struggle for independence from India and accession to Pakistan and despite all the difficulties and unfavourable conditions, they were not ready to give up their freedom movement.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said Kashmiris’ decision of accession to Pakistan was the proof that Pakistan lived in their hearts. In a tweet, the minister said this decision was a slap in the face of those who subjugated the Kashmiris through force and coercion. He said that till achievement of the Kashmiris’ goal of self-determination, Pakistan would continue their moral, political and diplomatic support with full force.