Altaf Ahmed Bhat, senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement, said October 27 remains a painful reminder of 1947 when Indian forces entered Jammu and Kashmir, an act he described as a betrayal of the will of the Kashmiri people. Speaking from Islamabad on 26 October, he said Kashmiris worldwide observe the day as Kashmir Black Day to reject what they call illegal occupation.
Bhat recalled that the United Nations Security Council recognised the Kashmir issue as a dispute in a series of resolutions, notably Resolution 47 of 1948 and follow-up resolutions in 1951, 1957 and 1962, which he said guaranteed a UN-supervised plebiscite to determine the region’s political future. He urged the international community to remember those commitments and to act on them rather than allowing the dispute to remain unresolved after seventy-eight years.
Describing the continuing situation on the ground, Bhat accused New Delhi of maintaining a military occupation that has brought repression and suffering to ordinary Kashmiris. He pointed to what he called attempts at demographic change, arbitrary detentions and harsh crackdowns as measures that seek to suppress dissent but have failed to break the resolve of the people.
Bhat called on the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and international human rights bodies to ensure implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir and to hold India accountable for what he termed repeated defiance of international obligations. He warned that silence from the world only emboldens oppression and urged global institutions to take concrete steps rather than issue statements alone.
Reaffirming a commitment to nonviolent struggle, Bhat said the movement for freedom and dignity is rooted in truth, justice and the right of self-determination. He appealed to Kashmiris in Pakistan, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and across the diaspora to mark Kashmir Black Day with peaceful rallies, seminars and online campaigns to highlight the ongoing occupation and press for fulfilment of UN promises.
