KL News Network
SRINAGAR
On Sunday, Pakistan’s Kashmir Day witnesses cross sections of society extending their support to Kashmir. While the people observed a minute-long silence at 10 am in solidarity with the Kashmiri people, there were series of activities reported from various places, Pakistani media reported.
On the eve of the yearly event, Pakistan army’s ISPR released a 2.50 minute song Sangbaaz that highlighted the consequences of the crisis.
Conferences and seminars apart, people at various places, reportedly formed chains by holding each others hands at locations connect Kashmir with Pakistan, especially at Azadpatan, Kohala and Mangla bridges.
PaK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan has led a public rally from Chatter area that was attended , among others, by his ministers Sardar Mir Akbar Khan. Similar rallies were reported from various PaK areas including schools.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the PR section of Pakistan Army had released a song that highlighted the state of human rights, the defiance and posed various questions: “You can pluck out my eyes but can never snatch my dreams…you can stop us from going to mosque but can not prevent us from prostrate before Him..” The song has used actual footage from Kashmir.
Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Prime Minister condemned, what he called, “the systemic state terrorism” of people of Kashmir. “The dream of peace and prosperity of the people of this region will remain elusive without resolving this dispute,” Sharief was quoted saying. Pakistan’s Kashmir Affairs Minister Ch Barjees Tahir was quoted saying that 2017 Kashmir Solidarity Day is special because of recent uprising in Kashmir that followed “extrajudicial killing” of Burhan Wani. He also said India would not be allowed to join CPEC if it continues “brutalities in Kashmir.”
On this occasion, members of the Kashmir Committee of Pakistan’s National Assembly had plans to visit the office of the United Nations to present a memorandum calling on India to grant Kashmiris the right to self-determination. In Muzaffarabad, the local government had planned a joint session of its Assembly and Council.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ace cricketer Shahid Afridi took to twitter to comment on Kashmir. “Kashmir has been suffering from brutality since past many decades. its high time this issue shd be resolved which has taken infinite lives,” Afridi said in one of his social media interventions through twitter. “Kashmir is heaven on earth & we can’t be oblivious to the pleas of the innocent. #iStandWithKashmir #KasmirSolidarityDay.”
A public holiday, Pakistan started observing Kashmir Day since 1990 on the suggestions of Jamat-e-Islami. Then Qazi Hussain Ahmed had called for the day and it was endorsed by then prime minister Benazir Bhutto and then chief minister of Punjab Nawaz Sharif. Normally, the security grid across Kashmir remains on high alert on this day.
