Pakistan observes ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ each year on 5th February to show their support and solidarity with the people living in India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK). The day is a public holiday across the country and people belonging to different communities participate in the activities and rallies across the country. Many political rallies, seminars and conferences organized to support the Kashmir freedom movement, in which people chant slogans to support the Kashmiri people and express solidarity with the people who are fighting for their right to self-determination. Children in schools show Kashmiri culture to represent the people of Kashmir as important part of Pakistan. It pay tribute to the martyrs of Kashmir who lost their lives for the freedom of entire valley.
Pakistan remain the biggest freedom supporter of Kashmir since the conflict begins. They call for the international community for many time to intervene in the matter of Kashmir and save innocent lives from the Indian Fascistic government. Many of the freedom fighters have lost their lives while fighting for the right to self-determination and Pakistan show solidarity with those people and observed a nationwide holiday.
Kashmir is not only connected with Pakistan through roads & rivers but they are united due to their cultural and ethical connectivity. Pakistan has historical connections with Kashmir and their support towards Kashmiris is mainly based on historical facts. Since the partition of the Indian sub-continent, Kashmir remains a conflictual territory between India and Pakistan. Just after the separation of the subcontinent and after the cessation of British control, A ceasefire boundary was settled after India and Pakistan went to war over the issue and claimed to rule separate parts of the valley. Both India and Pakistan have fought two out of three wars to get control over Kashmir. The Kashmir valley, which has a Muslim majority, was forcefully occupied by the Indian forces at the time of separation and till now they are being victimized by Indian forces and their fascist government. The people of Kashmir are being victimized through their basic human rights and right to self-determination.
The Indian government betrayed the Kashmiris by the revocation of article 370 on 5th February 2019, which gave a blow to the fire in the matter of Kashmir by removing a special status Kashmir. India did so by calling the Kashmiri freedom movement an act of terrorism by Muslims. India has lost its image in the international system for being a secular and democratic state which follows Hindutva ideology for the minorities living in India. Hindutva advocates “Hindu Supremacy” all over the nation in which all minorities have to be demolished. The main purpose of Hindutva ideology is ethnic cleansing in India which can be seen in the previous years when the Modi government target thousands of Muslims not only in Kashmir but across India. Under the rule of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), minority lives in fear because they made life much more difficult especially for the Muslim majority living in India and for the same reason the BJP had long averse the article 370. Revocation of article 370 depicts the Indian Prime Minister’s intentions who used the legislative agenda to victimize the Muslim minorities and Kashmiris.
Kashmir is the most militarized region in the globe where a common person cannot live freely by enjoying its basic rights of life have resulted in human abuses. Especially after the removal of the special status of Kashmir, Indian forces became more operational in the region by imposing night curfews, kidnapping and brutal killing of youngsters, harassment and lockdown. Every Kashmir shot-dead who speaks for their right to self-determination. Not only in IIOJK but Indian forces also used to target the civilians in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan’s side of Kashmir) by violating the Line of Control (LoC).
India is not only violating the LoC by targeting civilians on the Pakistani side of the border but there have been several occasions where the Indian government has violated the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolution which gave the rights to the people of Kashmir. UNSCR 38 (1948) and 122 (1957) clearly stated that any change in J&K would be informed immediately to the security council and any action by IIOJ&K to change the status or shape of the region would not represent the disposition of the state as per the resolutions of UNSC. The Indian government has bluntly violated all the resolutions given by the UNSC which is alarming for the upcoming conflicts as well.
Pakistan had made great efforts to highlight the Kashmir issue at different international forums by unveiling the Indian fascist government and giving the Kashmiris right to self-determination and the right to live without fear. Pakistan’s former PM Imran Khan had challenged the Indian moves in IIOJ&K by urging the UN to implement the Kashmir resolution. Similarly, Pakistan expresses nationwide solidarity and full support towards the people of Kashmir on ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ and further reminds the international community to recall their promise for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue. The international community has a big role to play in the Kashmir settlement other Pakistan will likely have to be engaged with the people of Kashmir and support the permanent solution.
Writer: Ms. Sara Nazir. She holds a MS degree in Strategic Studies from Air University Islamabad. She writes on South Asian security and strategic issues.