Stockholm: At a Kashmir Council event marking Kashmir Black Day, speakers emphasized the necessity of dialogue and peaceful means to resolve the long-standing Kashmir conflict, asserting the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination as pledged by the United Nations.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the event, led by Council President Sardar Tamur Aziz, served as a platform to discuss the historical context and ongoing challenges in Kashmir, particularly human rights abuses and the need for Kashmiri leadership in global forums. Aziz noted that Kashmir Black Day commemorates the October 27, 1947, entry of Indian troops into Jammu and Kashmir, viewed by many as the beginning of occupation.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Sweden, Bilal Hayee, detailed the contentious history of the region’s annexation by India, disputing the legitimacy of the ‘Instrument of Accession’ and highlighting the UN Security Council’s stipulation for a plebiscite to determine the region’s future—a process never implemented.
Speakers including Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace and Justice, lamented the international community’s inaction on both Kashmir and Palestine, underscoring the unresolved promise of self-determination. Dr. Fai specifically criticized recent Indian policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that altered the region’s demographic structure and legal framework, advocating for their reversal to pave the way for meaningful dialogue.
The event also saw participation from Kashmiri activists and international figures like Swedish politician Anders Tiger, who expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri cause. The conference concluded with a collective call for the release of all political prisoners in Kashmir, emphasizing a global advocacy campaign for their freedom.