Pakistan marks Oct. 27 as 'Black Day' in solidarity with Kashmiris

By Islamuddin Sajid and Nusrat Sidiq

ISLAMABAD / JAMMU AND KASHMIR (AA) – Pakistan on Friday marked "Black Day" to show solidarity with people of Jammu and Kashmir on the 76th anniversary of dispute over the region.

Special prayers were held in Pakistani mosques for Kashmiris who lost their lives during the conflict in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Also, protest rallies were also held across Pakistan to show solidarity with the Kashmiri people.

President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar in their messages reiterated Pakistan's "unflinching" diplomatic, moral and political support for the cause of the people of Kashmir.

"27 October 1947 is one of the darkest days for the Kashmiri people" Alvi said.

On Oct. 27, 1947, Indian troops positioned themselves in Kashmir's largest city, Srinagar, after India and Pakistan gained their independence from the British colonial rule.

The anniversary of this Indian action is observed by Pakistanis and Kashmiris as "Black Day," while India commemorates it as "Accession Day."

The region has been a source of tension between India and Pakistan ever since.

- Indian ruling party celebrates 'Accession Day' in Kashmir

India's ruling Hindu nationalist party, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday celebrated Oct. 26 as "Accession Day" to commemorate the arrival of the Indian Army in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region on this day in 1947, followed by the signing of the Instrument of Accession by then Dogra Monarch Maharaja Hari Singh.

Senior members of the ruling party addressed supporters at the capital city Srinagar, saying: "The Accession Day has existed since 1947. It was some local political parties that misguided youth, resulting in bloodshed and filling of graveyards, all these years. These parties are still yearning for violence in Kashmir."

Meanwhile, regional authorities disallowed Friday prayers in the central mosque of Srinagar for third consecutive week, the mosque administrators said.

- OIC calls on international community to resolve Kashmir issue

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the international community to step up its efforts to resolve Jammu and Kashmir issue.

"… the (OIC) General Secretariat urged India to respect the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to reverse the illegal and unilateral measures taken since 5 August 2019 to change the internationally recognized disputed status of the territory," the grouping said in a statement.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since India and Pakistan were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.