TEHRAN - On Thursday, the Pakistani community along with some Kashmiris in Iran assembled in the embassy of Pakistan in Tehran to observe Kashmir Day.

Kashmir Day has been marked as a national holiday in Pakistan since 1990 as a day of protest against Indian control of Jammu and part of Kashmir, in northern India, known as Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoK). 

Among speakers on that occasion was Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran Asif Durrani who expressed his grave concern over the killings of youngsters of Kashmir by Indian forces and reaffirmed “Kashmiris should be granted the right to self-determination.” 

The ground realities of Kashmir is heartbreaking, the ambassador said, adding Indian forces are “slaughtering” the civilians by live ammunition and pellet guns.

Pellet guns aimed at the eyes of the young Kashmiris by Indian forces have blinded civilians, he said.  “This will only added to Kashmiris’ hatred of Indian occupation forces.”   

According to reports, since July 2016, around 700 people in Kashmir have been shot in one eye, some even 12 or 15 years old, who have little chance of regaining their eyesight back in that eye.

Calling on India to comply with the UN Security Council Resolution on IoK, Ambassador Durrani said, “You cannot suppress the will of people, the will of expression and will of freedom. Submission of people in Kashmir won’t happen.”  

The irony, he said, is that “the country [India] that has no respect for the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir wants to secure the self-determination of people in Kashmir.”

The Indian forces suspended mobile internet services in Jamma and Kashmir for weeks back in July. 

Ambassador said, “Pakistan will continue to offer moral, political and spiritual support to Kashmiris” in their struggle for freedom.
 
“On Kashmir Day, Pakistan shows support and unity with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir, their ongoing freedom struggle to separate from India.”  

The Pakistani ambassador also reiterated that Islamabad is committed to a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

He then said Pakistan considers the issue of control of Kashmir as the core issue between India and Pakistan, which has led to a series of conflicts over water, nuclear energy and so on.