Kashmir ‘Black Day’ and the Role of the Current Government…

Kashmir ‘Black Day’ and the Role of the Current Government…

(ASGHAR ALI MUBARAK)
Every year on October 27, Kashmiris and Pakistanis across the globe observe a ‘Black Day.’ The current government’s stance is unequivocal: lasting peace in South Asia lies only in a just, peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. On the occasion of ‘Black Day,’ the Pakistani government has once again urged the international community to exert pressure on New Delhi to halt the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. This day commemorates October 27, 1947—the date when Indian forces first entered Srinagar and forcibly occupied the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Against this historical backdrop, the role of the current Pakistani government and the measures it has taken encompass several key aspects: October 27, 1947, marks the day when the principles of the Partition of India were violated, depriving the Kashmiri people of their fundamental right to self-determination. The primary objective of observing this day is to remind the international community and the United Nations of the UN Security Council resolutions, which promised the Kashmiri people the right to a plebiscite. Human Rights Violations: This day has become a symbol of the resilience of the oppressed Kashmiri people in the face of a decades-long military siege, extrajudicial killings, and the suppression of fundamental freedoms in the Valley. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the current Pakistani government has played an active role—at diplomatic, political, and public levels—on the Kashmir issue, particularly on ‘Black Day’. The Government of Pakistan has robustly championed the cause of occupied Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and various other global forums. Through consistent correspondence and meetings with world leaders, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister have kept the international community apprised of India’s illegal actions of August 5, 2019, and the grave human rights violations taking place.
On the occasion of ‘Black Day’, the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan have reiterated their unwavering commitment to stand with the Kashmiri people through special messages. The government maintains a clear stance: Pakistan will not rest until the Kashmiris are granted their rights in accordance with United Nations resolutions. In this context, on ‘Black Day’, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the international community to exert pressure on India to halt the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The leaders affirmed that Pakistan has consistently demonstrated steadfast solidarity with the Kashmiris and will continue to extend full moral, diplomatic, and political support to its Kashmiri brothers and sisters. Pakistan will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them until they attain their right to self-determination. Describing October 27, 1947, as a ‘dark chapter’ in the history of South Asia, the leaders noted that the people of Indian-administered Kashmir have, for decades, been enduring the “brutal oppression of Indian forces.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that 79 years ago on this very day, Indian forces landed in Srinagar; since then, India has suppressed the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people to determine their own destiny. Over the past 79 years, the people of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have endured countless hardships; yet, “their resolve to attain their inalienable right to self-determination remains as firm today as it was in 1947.”
Nationwide and Diplomatic Activities: On the instructions of the government, rallies, seminars, and protests are held annually on October 27th across Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. Furthermore, special events are organized at Pakistani embassies worldwide to draw global public attention toward Indian atrocities.
State media—including PTV and Radio Pakistan—as well as the social media channels of the Ministry of Information, broadcast documentaries and digital content highlighting the situation in occupied Kashmir, ensuring that the younger generation remains informed about the reality of this conflict. More than a dozen United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions concerning Jammu and Kashmir provide the primary legal and international framework for this long-standing dispute, recognizing the right of Kashmiris to self-determination as a fundamental principle. Between 1948 and 1971, the Security Council adopted several significant resolutions calling for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops, and a peaceful resolution in the region. The first of these was Resolution 38 (January 1948), which urged both countries to reduce tensions and keep the Security Council informed of the situation. This was immediately followed by Resolution 39, which established the “United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan” (UNCIP) to investigate the dispute and act as a mediator. Among all these decisions, Resolution 47—adopted on April 21, 1948—holds the greatest historical significance; it established an unambiguous principle that the final decision regarding the future of Jammu and Kashmir would be made in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people, through a free, fair, and democratic plebiscite held under United Nations supervision, rather than through any unilateral action. In this context, the UNCIP adopted its most critical resolutions on August 13, 1948, and January 5, 1949, which outlined the detailed steps for a ceasefire and the plebiscite. Subsequently, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was established to monitor the ceasefire.When India attempted to secure the accession of occupied Kashmir through the region’s local Constituent Assembly, the UN Security Council—by adopting Resolution 122 in January 1957—declared that any unilateral decision by such an assembly could neither alter the final status of the state nor serve as a substitute for a plebiscite held under the auspices of the United Nations. During the 1965 war, the Security Council, through Resolutions 209, 210, and 211, mandated an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces to their respective positions. It remains Pakistan’s consistent diplomatic stance that these Security Council resolutions have no expiry date; the issue of occupied Kashmir continues to be recognized as a disputed territory on the UN agenda under the heading “The India-Pakistan Question.” Under international law and the UN Charter, as long as a dispute remains on the Security Council’s agenda, no material changes can be made to the demographic or geographical structure of the region. For this reason, Pakistan and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) characterize India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, as a blatant violation of these international resolutions, and they urge the global community to ensure their immediate implementation. It was on October 27, 79 years ago, that Indian troops entered the Kashmir Valley; in remembrance of this, a “Black Day” is observed, marked annually by protests and rallies. The dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan has persisted since October 1947. In Indian-administered Kashmir, security forces maintain a heavy presence, and all forms of protests and rallies are prohibited. The call to observe “Black Day” was issued by the top Kashmiri leadership—the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC)—and the local government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. On this occasion, Kashmiri leaders called for international intervention to resolve the Kashmir issue, urging the United Nations to facilitate a peaceful resolution. The Prime Minister of Pakistan stated that the people of Indian-administered Kashmir have endured “brutal oppression by Indian forces” for decades, yet they remain steadfast in the pursuit of their rights. He urged the United Nations to take cognizance of the “genocide” occurring in Kashmir, fulfill its commitment to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with its own resolutions, and grant the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination. In Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, grave and systematic human rights violations continue, with stringent security laws being ruthlessly employed to suppress fundamental freedoms in the Valley. Under draconian laws such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), thousands of Kashmiris—including students, journalists, and human rights activists—have been held in prisons for extended periods without any formal charge or trial. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) grants security forces sweeping powers and immunity from any form of accountability, leading to persistent incidents of extrajudicial killings, custodial torture, and enforced disappearances. Severe restrictions are imposed on freedom of expression and the local media; journalists who report the truth face police investigations, threats, and arbitrary detention. Furthermore, frequent internet suspensions create “digital blackouts,” preventing the true situation in the Valley from reaching the outside world. Additionally, the practice of bulldozing the homes of political activists—as a form of collective punishment—continues. Efforts to alter the region’s demographic composition and dismantle its Muslim-majority identity have intensified through new domicile laws introduced following the actions of August 5, 2019. These developments have drawn persistent, grave concern from the international community, United Nations experts, and international human rights organizations. Reports from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and various UN Special Rapporteurs provide the most authoritative international documentation of the ongoing human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, for the first time in history, the United Nations issued comprehensive reports on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. These reports meticulously documented the use of disproportionate force by Indian troops, the indiscriminate use of pellet guns, extrajudicial killings, and the total impunity enjoyed by security forces under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). They further recommended the establishment of an independent international “Commission of Inquiry” to investigate these grave violations. Building upon these landmark reports, independent UN human rights experts and special rapporteurs have, in recent years, expressed deep concern over abuses committed in occupied Kashmir under the guise of counter-terrorism operations. They have highlighted that Indian authorities have misused stringent laws—such as the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—to arbitrarily detain thousands of individuals for prolonged periods, including Kashmiri journalists, students, and prominent human rights defenders like Khurram Parvez. Furthermore, recent UN reports have characterized the demolition of homes and properties belonging to Kashmiri Muslims—employed as a form of collective punishment—alongside communication blockades, frequent suspensions of mobile internet, and the blocking of thousands of social media accounts, as blatant violations of the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Pakistan has welcomed these UN reports and has consistently urged the Security Council to ensure the implementation of their recommendations.October 27, 1947, marks one of the darkest chapters in the history of South Asia—a day when Indian forces, in defiance of the established principles of the Partition of India and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, forcibly entered the territory of Jammu and Kashmir and established an illegal, usurping occupation over the Valley. Under the agreed-upon terms for the partition of the subcontinent, Muslim-majority states were to become part of Pakistan. With over 80 percent of its population being Muslim, Jammu and Kashmir—by virtue of natural, geographical, and ideological ties—sought accession to Pakistan. However, Maharaja Hari Singh, acting against the will of the Kashmiri people, orchestrated a controversial and clandestine ‘Instrument of Accession,’ thereby facilitating the landing of Indian troops in Srinagar. In response to this unlawful occupation, the Kashmiri people launched a vigorous resistance. While this struggle succeeded in liberating the region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from Dogra rule and Indian domination, a large portion of the Valley fell under India’s illegal occupation—an event commemorated annually as a ‘Black Day’ by Kashmiris and Pakistanis worldwide. This day serves not only as a reminder of a historical tragedy but also marks the beginning of a prolonged and bloody oppression that has persisted in the occupied Valley for the past eight decades—a period during which hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of their freedom and the right to self-determination. At that time, India promised the international community that once the situation normalized, the Kashmiri people would be allowed to determine their own future through a plebiscite held under the supervision of the United Nations—a commitment also endorsed by the UN Security Council. However, New Delhi has completely disregarded these promises and international resolutions, transforming the Valley into the world’s largest military siege. This dark act of October 27, 1947, remains the greatest threat to peace in South Asia to this day. Furthermore, the revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status on August 5, 2019, and the ongoing attempts to engineer demographic changes demonstrate that India remains committed to the same expansionist, usurping mindset that began on that grim day in 1947. It is for this reason that the Kashmiri people still regard this date as the greatest injustice and act of usurpation in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the geographical and strategic position of Jammu and Kashmir was so significant that it was considered the political heart of the entire region and the “crown” of the subcontinent, as its borders touched several major global powers. The primary geopolitical importance of Jammu and Kashmir lay in the fact that its boundaries not only adjoined the newly formed states of Pakistan and India, but its northern frontiers also connected with the great powers of that era—the Soviet Union and China—while in the northwest, it lay in proximity to Afghanistan via the Wakhan Corridor. Consequently, for the British Empire, this region served as a vital “buffer zone” designed to halt the advance of Russia and influence from Central Asia. Geographically and naturally, Kashmir was completely tilted towards Pakistan because all the major, evergreen, and natural land routes connecting the subcontinent with the Kashmir Valley passed through Rawalpindi, Murree, and Jhelum, while the natural sources of water of the rivers on which Pakistan’s agricultural economy was completely dependent were located in the mountains of Kashmir, which is why the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had declared Kashmir as the jugular vein of Pakistan. On the contrary, it was geographically impossible for India to access Kashmir unless it found a land route, and this route was provided by handing over the Pathankot tehsil of the Muslim-majority Gurdaspur district to India under the Radcliffe Award at the time of the Partition of India, which provided the strategic facility for the Indian forces to enter Srinagar by land on 27 October 1947. From a military perspective, the mountainous region of Kashmir, to the north of which lie the highest mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalayas, provided a natural defensive advantage over the entire South Asia, and whichever country gained complete control over this region would have gained strategic supremacy over the entire subcontinent. This strategic importance remains the main reason for this long-standing conflict even after eight decades. The rivers of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan’s water security are so interconnected that control over Kashmir means control over the strings of Pakistan’s agricultural and economic life. Geographically, Pakistan’s economy and agriculture depend on the Indus River System, which accounts for more than 80 percent of its economic and agricultural output, with its three western rivers—the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—either flowing into Pakistan through occupied Kashmir or having their sources and upper reaches under Indian control. In 1960, the Indus Waters Treaty was signed between Pakistan and India under the mediation of the World Bank, under which the waters of the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) were transferred to Pakistan and the waters of the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas) were transferred to India. However, in recent years, the construction of dozens of hydroelectric power projects, dams, and water storage facilities on these rivers in occupied Kashmir by India (such as the Kishanganga on the Jhelum River and the Ratle, Baglihar, and Dalhasti projects on the Chenab River) has posed serious threats to Pakistan’s water security. Although India calls these projects “run-of-the-river”, Pakistan has long held the principled position that India is trying to create an artificial drought in Pakistan by blocking the flow of water during the crucial planting season of plants and crops through the design of these dams and water gates.Or, it is acquiring the strategic capability to submerge Pakistan by suddenly releasing water during flood seasons. In recent years—particularly looking ahead to 2025 and 2026—India’s demands for unilateral amendments to the Indus Waters Treaty, coupled with threats to revise the agreement, have further exacerbated this water dispute. This has not only jeopardized Pakistan’s food security but has also created a situation where this water-related issue between the two nuclear-armed powers could potentially trigger a major military confrontation. For Pakistan, Kashmir is not merely a political or geographical territory; it is a guarantor of the nation’s survival and water security. Consequently, Pakistan views Indian hegemony over the waters of Kashmir as the single greatest strategic threat to its very existence.