Kashmiris defy curfew, restrictions to mark Pak Independence Day in IoK

SRINAGAR: People in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) while flouting curfew and other restrictions on Sunday celebrated Pakistan's Independence Day with great zeal by staging massive pro-Pakistan rallies and demonstrations and hoisting Pakistani flags in every nook and cranny of the territory.

Huge contingents of Indian army, police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in every district and town across the territory to enforce restrictions for the 37th consecutive day, on Sunday. However, thousands of people took to the streets defying curfew in Kulgam, Islamabad, Pulwama, Bandipora and other districts and chanted pro-freedom and pro-Pakistan slogans.

The Kashmiri people hoisted Pakistan flag at a number of places, on telecommunication towers and buildings across the occupied territory. They also played the national anthem of Pakistan to commemorate the day.

Meanwhile, dozens of women including the chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Aasiya Andrabi, were wounded when Indian armed forces fired teargas shells to quell a women march in Tral town in Pulwama district of held Kashmir. Andrabi had managed to reach Tral to lead the rally.

In another similar incident, at least a dozen more people were injured in Malangpora area of the same district while participating in a rally. These rallies were part of the Referendum March, of which a joint call was given by the Hurriyet leadership.

Hurriyet leaders Syed Ali Gilani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were barred from leading the march forcing them to stage sit-ins outside their residences in Srinagar.

People at the sit-ins carried banners reading "Go India Go Back".

Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world will observe the Indian Independence Day, on Monday, as 'Black Day' to convey the message to the world fraternity that India had usurped their inalienable right to self-determination.

The day will be marked by a complete strike in held Kashmir, with calls already given for protest rallies and demonstrations in the territory and in the world capitals to highlight different dimensions of the Kashmir dispute and Indian atrocities on innocent people.