Rallies held across Gilgit-Baltistan in solidarity with Kashmiris

Rallies and public gatherings were held across Gilgit-Baltistan to express solidarity with the people of Indian held Jammu and Kashmir,

GILGIT:  Rallies and public gatherings were held across Gilgit-Baltistan to express solidarity with the people of Indian held Jammu and Kashmir, with participants calling for their right to self-determination and urging the international community to help resolve the decades long dispute.

In Gilgit, the regional capital, the district administration organised a rally from Benazir Chowk to Ittehad Chowk. Provincial Home Minister Muhammad Dilpazeer Khan, Chief Secretary Arshad Majeed Mohmand, senior government officials, provincial department secretaries, students, civil society representatives and local residents attended the event.

Participants carried banners and playcards expressing support for the Kashmiri people and chanted slogans against Indian rule in the disputed territory.

Speakers said Kashmiris had long struggled for their fundamental rights and called on the United Nations and the international community to take effective steps toward a peaceful and just settlement of the dispute. The demonstrators also called for the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions on Kashmir, saying any lasting solution should reflect the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

October 27, 1947, was described by participants as a black day in Kashmir’s history, referring to the arrival of Indian troops in the territory. Similar rallies and gatherings were held in the four districts of the Baltistan Division Skardu, Shigar, Ghanche and Kharmang as well as in Hunza, Ghizer, Nagar, Astore and Diamer.

Participants across the region reaffirmed their support for the Kashmiri people, pledging to continue providing political, moral and diplomatic backing for their right to self-determination. The events also sought to draw international attention to the dispute and the longstanding demands of Kashmiris.