ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Various events were held in the twin cities on Wednesday to mark Kashmir Day on February 5. The events aimed at drawing attention to the human rights abuses in Indian-held Kashmir and showing solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

A roundtable conference was held at the National Press Club, while a three-day long photography exhibition opened at the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC).

At a roundtable conference, titled ‘Indo-Pak tensions and Kashmir Issue’ on Wednesday evening, there were demands by participants for Pakistani authorities to take up a more aggressive attitude on Kashmir.

Speakers criticised successive Pakistani governments for failing to highlight the Kashmir issues at international forums and said that the attempts at seeking peaceful resolution of the issue have failed.

The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front representative said India has changed its narrative on Kashmir a number of times and the international community has failed to fulfill its responsibility.

The Jamaat–i-Islami-Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) representative, Noorul Bari, said that Pakistan’s founder had himself adopted a pro-active policy on the Kashmir issue.

“Despite opposition by then army chief, who was British, to deploy Pakistani forces to Kashmir, the Quaid-e-Azam took up a pro-active approach and Pakistan remained aggressive over the issue,” he said.

It appeared that the speakers, despite their varied backgrounds, agreed that Pakistan had kept an apologetic attitude on Kashmir while India being the occupier had remained aggressive.

“Kashmiris made Pakistan their advocate in 1947, but this advocate has failed to fight the case despite United Nations (UN) resolutions,” said Sardar Niaz of Jammu Kashmir People’s Party.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf AJK’s Javed Jameel said that a head of the Kashmir committee once even said “Afghanistan matters more to us than Kashmir”.

Meanwhile, a photography exhibition opened at the RAC which narrates the story of Kashmiris’ struggle for their right to self-determination and human rights violations against them by the Indian state.

The exhibition features over 250 highly poignant photographs, depicting the suffering of people of Indian-held Kashmir in the face of brutalities by the Indian armed forces.

Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Lubna Rehan Pirzada inaugurated the exhibition which was visited by a large number of students, teachers, activists and artists.

The MPA said the Kashmiris have chronicled a glorious chapter in world history through their sacrifices for their right to self-determination.

She said that there is a need to raise our voices against human rights violations in Kashmir at international forums.

“The resolution of the Kashmir dispute is necessary for world peace. The United Nations must implement its resolutions on Kashmir,” she said. The photography exhibition closes on Friday.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2015

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