In a move that could clearly provoke India, Pakistan has decided to observe July 19 as black day to mark “complete solidarity with Kashmiris”, according to a media report.
The Pakistan decision came in the wake of wide-spread violence in the valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani earlier this week
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan would continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their just struggle for right to self-determination, said The News international.
“Indian brutalities will give impetus to the freedom struggle,” Sharif was quoted as saying. Addressing the Special Cabinet meeting held in Governor House in Lahore on Friday, he also termed the movement of Kashmiris as a movement of freedom.
Over three dozen people were killed and nearly 1,000 others injured in a spat of violence as protesters clashed with security forces in several places.
Sharif's comment came just a day after the two countries locked horns at the UN on Thursday. India had strongly hit back at Pakistan after the latter demanded UN intervention in the Kashmir issue.
“…we have seen an attempt at misuse of this U.N. platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to U.N.-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination,” India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. Syed Akbaruddin said to the world body.
