MIRPUR: The resilient people of Jammu and Kashmir, both on either side of the Line of Control and worldwide, celebrated the 76th Kashmiris’ Accession-to-Pakistan Day with an unwavering determination to unite their final destiny with Pakistan, in line with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
This unique characteristic of the Kashmiri people is observed annually to reaffirm their unwavering belief, echoing the historic resolution adopted during a momentous session of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference held 76 years ago in Aabiguzar, near the renowned Dal Lake in Srinagar.
On July 19, 1947, the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference convened a meeting at the residence of the eminent Kashmiri leader, the late Sardar Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, who later became the founder President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution for the state’s accession to Pakistan was presented in the presence of 59 courageous leaders and was unanimously adopted amid chants of “Allah-o-Akbar” (God is Great) and “Pakistan Zindabad” (Long Live Pakistan).
The resolution expressed the complete and unwavering confidence of the Kashmiri people in the visionary leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, stating, “We salute him (The great Quaid) and congratulate him from the core of our hearts with immense delight and satisfaction on the auspicious occasion of the establishment of Pakistan.”
In a stern warning to the Hindu Dogra ruler, the brave people of Jammu and Kashmir, with a Muslim majority population of over 85 percent, demanded that Singh declare the state’s accession to Pakistan without hesitation before August 14, 1947, or face dire consequences if the voice of the people was ignored. Subsequently, India initiated an illicit invasion of the Jammu and Kashmir State.
In response, the valiant people of the state fiercely resisted the oppressive Dogra regime, leading to the establishment of Azad Jammu Kashmir as a base for the liberation of the remaining territory from Indian control. This day serves as a reminder of the Kashmiri people’s determination, urging India to recognize their legitimate aspirations for exercising their birthright of self-determination and to prevent a catastrophic peril in South Asia.
The Kashmiris call upon India to end its oppressive occupation of the part of Jammu and Kashmir that it holds hostage with a massive military presence. They also appeal to the international community to fulfill its commitment by promptly implementing United Nations resolutions, which have repeatedly called for a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir under UN auspices, enabling the Kashmiri people to exercise their right to self-determination and determine their future. India is well aware that not a single Kashmiri will vote in favor of New Delhi, leading the deceitful Indian authorities to evade the UN resolutions with flimsy excuses.
The freedom struggle of the Kashmiri people against the tyrannical Dogra rule and later against illegal and forcible Indian occupation has been ongoing for over six decades, gaining momentum in the past 33 years as Kashmiris in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir initiated their indigenous struggle against Indian subjugation. This year’s Kashmir Accession-to-Pakistan Day carries a glimmer of hope that if India accepts the ground realities without reservations and acknowledges that it cannot rule the people of Jammu and Kashmir by force, it may contribute to lasting peace and prosperity in the region through a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue in line with the historic UN resolutions.
Various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir have been adorned with banners expressing the deep-rooted love and affection of the Kashmiri people towards Pakistan, their continued struggle for the liberation of occupied Kashmir, and their aspiration to see Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan fulfilled through the exercise of their right to self-determination.
Pakistan’s just and principled stance on Kashmir, which emphasizes resolving the issue based on the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, is widely recognized. Political observers in Jammu and Kashmir state argue that the Indian government, led by Narendra Modi, must acknowledge the ground realities and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, in alignment with Pakistan’s just and principled views, to achieve a permanent and durable settlement of the conflict.
