October 27 one of darkest days in South Asia’s history
Arif Hussain
October 27, 1947, was one of the darkest days in the history of South Asia as on this day India landed its troops in Srinagar against the will of the Kashmiri people and forcibly occupied it.
October 27, 1947 symbolizes the start of India’s military occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, following the controversial Instrument of Accession. From that moment, the people of Kashmir have faced continuous suffering, particularly through violent atrocities that have left deep scars on the region.
Salute to the courage of Kashmiris who, after 77 years, continued their struggle for self-determinationand rendered over 97,000 lives for the Kashmir cause.
The then Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had taken the Kashmir dispute to the United Nations and the World Body has passed many resolutions on Kashmir but India yet to implement it and the United Nations has also failed to employ its own resolution and force India to give Kashmiris their birthright to self-determination.
Over the past seven decades, India has employed various strategies to strengthen its control over Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). People of the territory had suffered countless hardships during the last seventy-seven years. However, their resolve to realize their inalienable right to self-determination remains as firm as it was in 1947.
However, since 5th August 2019, when the Modi regime repealed the special status of occupied Kashmir and divided it into two union territories,theKashmiris had witnessed an accelerated effort to undermine the internationally recognized disputed status of Kashmir and to marginalize the rights and voices of the Kashmiri people.
The actions taken by Indian authorities, including attempts to alter the demographic and political landscape of the territory, stand in direct violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Despite these measures, the resolve of the Kashmiri people remains undeterred. The desire for freedom and self-determination among the Kashmiri people remains strong and is growing stronger with each passing day.
The recent elections in occupied Kashmir revealed the reality of India’s narrative and urged India to consider this election as a referendum against its rule.
Lasting peace in the region could not be realized without a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in line with the UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of Kashmiri people. The UN must fulfill its commitment to resolve the Kashmir dispute per its own resolutions, allowing Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
Pakistan has always been a staunch advocate of this indigenous right of Kashmiris living in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and has always supported them in this just struggle. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for raising the Kashmir and Palestine issues at the UN General Assembly in September 2024.
The United Nations and the world community should take special interest in the lingering Kashmir dispute and resolve it according to its own resolutions and will of the Kashmiri people so that permanent peace could be established in the south Asian region.
The international community must take concrete steps to end India’s atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary arrests and support Kashmir’s right to self-determination.
