LAHORE OBSERVES INDIA’S REPUBLIC DAY AS ‘BLACK DAY’ IN SOLIDARITY WITH KASHMIR

Lahore, Pakistan – Political and social leaders gathered outside the Lahore Press Club on Monday to protest India’s Republic Day, demanding international intervention on the Kashmir issue and accusing New Delhi of human rights violations in the disputed territory.
The demonstration, organized by the Lahore Kashmir Center, brought together representatives from multiple political parties, civil society organizations, and members of the Kashmiri diaspora community. Participants wore black armbands and carried placards condemning what they described as India’s “occupation” of Jammu and Kashmir.
Among the speakers were former government advisor Naseebullah Gardezi, All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Engineer Mushtaq Mahmood, and representatives from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chapters for Azad Kashmir.
“India claims to be the world’s largest democracy, yet it denies nearly 20 million Kashmiris their democratic right to self-determination,” said Aam-ul-Hassan, in-charge of the Kashmir Center. “The Kashmir issue is not an internal matter but concerns the survival and future of an entire nation.”
The protesters specifically criticized measures taken since August 5, 2019, when India revoked Article 370 of its constitution, which had granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. Speakers alleged that the region has since been subjected to increased military presence, media restrictions, and curtailment of civil liberties.
“There is no democracy or human rights in Kashmir—only oppression and violence,” stated Raja Shahzad Ahmed, President of PML-N’s Lahore Azad Kashmir Division. “International human rights organizations must take notice of India’s actions.”
The demonstrators called on the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and other international bodies to pressure India to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir’s status and grant what they termed the “birthright” of self-determination to Kashmiri people.
The protest concluded with prayers led by religious scholar Allama Mushtaq Ahmad Qadri for those killed in the conflict and for what participants called the “liberation” of Kashmir.
The Kashmir region has been a flashpoint between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan since the partition of British India in 1947. Both countries claim the territory in full but control it in part. India maintains that Kashmir is an integral part of its territory, while Pakistan supports Kashmiri self-determination.
India’s Republic Day, celebrated annually on January 26, commemorates the adoption of the country’s constitution in 1950.