Kashmir Solidarity Day observed in Chicago

Consulate General of Pakistan and several members various organizations hold a huge seminar for an observed Kashmir Solidarity Day in Chicago on Sunday, February 3rd, 2019 at the consulate office Chicago with national zeal and zest to express unity with Kashmiris residing in Indian Occupied Kashmir. Kashmir Solidarity Day has been observed in Chicago on 5 February every year since Last 10 years.

The largest gathering of people from various segments of the society, including think tanks, academia, students, representatives of the community and journalists attended.

Messages by the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Kashmir Solidarity Day were read to the audience. A documentary on the atrocities being committed by the Indian forces of occupation was also screened.

Speakers in their remarks and presentations explained the genesis, history and status of the Kashmir dispute. They saluted the resilience and courage displayed by the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir in their just struggle for their right of self-determination and said that their untiring efforts would surely bear fruit. While reminding the world of Kashmir being the oldest unresolved issue on the UN agenda, they hoped that the international community would exert influence on India in providing the hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir their right.

Consul General of Pakistan in Chicago, Mr. Javed Ahmed Umrani, in his concluding remarks said that Kashmir remains a core issue between Pakistan and India and a flashpoint between these two nuclear states. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for seeking their right of self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions. He further said that the human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, remained a big challenge to the conscience of the international community. He pointed out that in addition to indiscriminately killing the Kashmiris with impunity, the Indian occupation forces have mass blinded Kashmiri civilian, including youth, women and children, by deliberately targeting their eyes with pellet gunshots. He also highlighted the report of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights which details the excessive use of force and pellet guns by the Indian occupation forces against defenseless Kashmiris, use of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, rape as an instrument of suppression and violation of basic human rights of Kashmiris. Taking this opportunity, Consul General Umrani urged the Pakistani-American community to draw attention of their respective Congressmen and Senators towards Indian denial of the right of self-determination for Kashmiri people and grave human rights violations.