Minsk, 5 February 2022 (TDI): As part Kashmir Solidarity Day commemoration falling on 5th February, the Embassy organized an event today in Minsk to show solidarity with the people in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) who are struggling for their right to self-determination enshrined in several UN Security Council Resolutions.
The members of the expatriate community and representatives of the Kashmiri diaspora attended the event. A photographic exhibition and video documentary on the human rights situation in Kashmir were part of the event.
The participants expressed their unwavering support for the oppressed Kashmiri people in their just struggle for freedom from Indian occupation. The video highlighted the Jammu Massacre, the discovery of several thousand unmarked graves, and the use of pellet guns by the Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris.
On the occasion, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Belarus Sajjad Haider Khan briefed the participants on the three important dimensions of the Kashmir Dispute including Human Rights, Legal, and Peace & Security.
He urged the international community to play its role in fulfilling its commitment to the Kashmiri people; made through UN resolutions assuring them of their right to self-determination.
KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY BACKGROUND
Pakistan commemorates Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5, since the year 1990. The day also received the name of Youm-e-Yakhjehti-e-Kashmir and is a protest against Indian control of part of Kashmir.
Furthermore, it is important to mention that the state shares a border with the Himalayas. After the British Raj, the state got divided into three; where Pakistan controlled Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, China controlled Aksai Chin, and India had Jammu and Kashmir.
Moreover, the split of the region generated tensions between Pakistan and India. Qazi Hussain Ahmad of the Jamaat-e-Islami party first proposed to make it a non-working and official day in 1990.
Moreover, Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister, and Benazir Bhutto, the Prime Minister supported the idea. The Pakistan People’s Party declared it a public holiday on 5 February. The government, semi-government, the State Bank of Pakistan, and also private offices throughout the territory close for the day.
During the day, different activities are organized like rallies, marches, and also speeches. Also At 10 am, there is one minute of silence for the dead.
