Kashmiris in Pakistan, elsewhere observe ‘Accession Day’

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Kashmiris residing in Pakistan and both parts of the disputed Kashmir valley on Wednesday observed "Accession Day."

The day marks the adoption of a resolution by the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference at a convention in Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, on July 19, 1947 that called for merging Kashmir with Pakistan.

Rallies, seminars and other events were held across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, also known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to mark the day.

It was a holiday in the Islamabad-controlled part of the valley.

A large rally was held in Rawlakot district which was addressed by the region's former Prime Minister, Sardar Tanvir Ilyas.

In his message on the occasion, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured Kashmiris living in Pakistan and across the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, of his country's "unflinching" support of their freedom struggle.

"We strongly condemn the relentless Indian persecution of Kashmiris and grave violations of human rights and call upon the UN and the international community to ensure the implementation of the UN resolutions," Sharif said in a tweet.

"Without just and peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute, South Asia will never be available to attain durable peace and unlock its true development potential," he added.

The lingering Kashmir dispute has been a major bone of contention between the two neighbors, who have fought two full-scale wars -- in 1948 and 1965 -- and the three-week-long Kargil skirmish in 1999 over Kashmir.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.
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