Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has declared that tomorrow, coinciding with India’s Independence Day, will be observed as a Black Day across Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in protest against what they term the illegal occupation by New Delhi.
According to Kashmir Media Service, leaders of the APHC, who are currently detained in Tihar Jail in New Delhi, have called upon Kashmiris to demonstrate their rejection of Indian rule and assert their right to self-determination. The leaders, including Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, and Nayeem Ahmed, emphasized in separate messages that India has no legal or moral justification for its Independence Day celebrations within the occupied territory, describing the occupation as a violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.
The call for protests underscores the deep-rooted tension in the region, as APHC leaders in Srinagar also urged locals to voice their dissent against India’s longstanding policy regarding the Kashmir dispute and the ongoing repression faced by its advocates. They highlighted that the Kashmiri demand for self-determination, promised over seven decades ago by prominent Indian figures including Jawaharlal Nehru, remains unaddressed, with those advocating for it facing severe consequences.