Pakistan Observes ‘Black Day,’ Calls for Resolution of Kashmir Dispute for South Asian Peace
ISLAMABAD, October 27 – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said lasting peace and stability in South Asia will remain out of reach until the Kashmir dispute is resolved in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, as Pakistan marked ‘Black Day’ on Monday.
Observed annually on October 27, the day commemorates India’s 1947 takeover of the part of Jammu and Kashmir it administers. Nationwide rallies were held across Pakistan and among the diaspora to express solidarity with Kashmiris in their struggle for self-determination.
Sharif accused India of enforcing “draconian laws” and pursuing a “systematic campaign of violence and suppression” in the disputed territory. He condemned the imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders, activists, and journalists, calling it evidence of an “extremist agenda” aimed at silencing dissent.
The prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Kashmiri cause, vowing that Islamabad would continue to advocate for their right to self-determination.
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations, have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which each claims in full but controls only in part. Tensions have remained high since India revoked the region’s semi-autonomous status in August 2019, dividing it into two federally administered territories.
