Kashmir Solidarity Day is being observed on Sunday with traditional zeal and fervour in a bid to reiterate complete solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their indigenous struggle for attaining the right of self-determination and liberation of their motherland from Indian yoke.
The day will be marked by rallies, walks, human chains, exhibitions, seminars and special meetings to demonstrate in unequivocal terms support to the just cause of Kashmiri people. This year, Kashmir Solidarity Day is falling on the sanctified day of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH). The day will dawn with special prayers in all principal mosques for liberation of Kashmir from Indian subjugation. One-minute silence will be observed at 10 am and sirens will sound across the country.
Banners, posters, flags and screens have been displayed highlighting the Kashmir issue. The Pakistan's missions abroad will hold receptions, photo exhibitions and screening of documentaries on Kashmir. Pakistani and Kashmiri communities abroad will also hold rallies in different capitals of the world. Similar walks, rallies, seminars and exhibitions will also be organised in different capitals and other cities of the country.
Political, social and religious parties will take out rallies to mark the day. TV channels and Radio will broadcast special programmes to highlight Kashmir issue. The print media would publish special supplements to highlight the Kashmir issue, publish interviews of prominent Kashmiri leaders and give wide publicity to the event.
Kashmiri leaders told Business Recorder that Pakistan and Kashmir are inter dependent and both can not exist without each other. "We cannot give up our stand on Kashmir and we should resist all pressures. It will be extremely harmful if we forego our stand," they said, adding that "if China could succeed to get control of Hong Kong after 100 years of consistent struggle, there is no reason why Pakistan could not succeed in its right stand."
The PML-N Lahore President Mohammad Pervaiz, MNA, said that all political parties should unite to forcefully raise the Kashmir issue and extend full moral and political support to the Kashmiri people. He said the Kashmir cause is very dear to the Pakistanis and hearts of both peoples throb together. "If one is hurt, the other feels the pain".
He said that Pakistan and India have already fought four wars but unfortunately the Kashmir issue could not be resolved due to inhuman policies of Indian authorities. He stressed the need of adopting a realistic approach for finding a durable and acceptable to all solution of the chronic dispute. He said, "Kashmir is a jugular vein and India is triggering water issues to control this important part of Pakistan and the focus of PML-N's politics is not merely Pakistan rather the whole Islamic Ummah."
He said it was PML-N President Nawaz Sharif who took major initiatives and the then Indian Premier Vajpayee arrived in Pakistan and gave positive signals for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. "Had Nawaz Sharif's government not been toppled, the Kashmir issue would have already been resolved".