Pakistan's President Urges Global Action on Kashmir Black Day, Condemns India’s Occupation

On the occasion of Kashmir Black Day, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari issued a powerful message denouncing India’s occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri people. Zardari condemned the decades of brutal repression endured by the residents of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), urging the international community to pressure India into ending human rights abuses and honoring its commitment to the Kashmiri right to self-determination.

Kashmir Black Day marks October 27, 1947, when India sent troops to occupy Jammu and Kashmir, an act that Zardari described as a dark chapter in South Asian history. He emphasized that IIOJK has since become one of the most militarized regions in the world, with thousands of Kashmiris killed, legitimate leaders imprisoned, and local media censored under India’s repressive policies.

Zardari highlighted that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has repeatedly affirmed the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination through a fair plebiscite. However, India continues to defy these resolutions, systematically denying Kashmiris their basic freedoms.

The President specifically referenced India’s August 5, 2019 decision to revoke IIOJK’s special constitutional status. Zardari condemned these actions as part of a larger strategy to alter the region’s demographic and political landscape and suppress the Kashmiri Freedom Movement. He added that these measures reflect India’s intention to consolidate its control over the disputed territory in violation of international norms.

Despite these harsh measures, the people of Kashmir remain resolute in their struggle for freedom, Zardari stated. He reiterated Pakistan’s moral, diplomatic, and political support for Kashmiris, condemning India’s continued human rights abuses. “Pakistan will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters until they achieve their inalienable right to self-determination,” he affirmed.

Zardari warned that ignoring long-standing disputes, such as the Kashmir conflict, undermines regional and global peace. He pointed to recent developments in the Middle East as a reminder that unresolved issues cannot be pushed aside indefinitely. “Three generations of Kashmiris have waited for the world, especially the United Nations, to honor its promises and deliver them their right to self-determination,” Zardari said.

He urged the international community to press India to halt its human rights abuses in Kashmir, relieve the suffering of its people, and implement UNSC resolutions. "The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye any longer," he emphasized, calling for decisive global intervention to ensure peace and justice in Kashmir.