BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. The Embassy of Pakistan in Baku held an event on October 27 to mark Jammu and Kashmir Black Day, with participants expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people and highlighting Pakistan’s position on the disputed territory, the embassy said.
The event brought together representatives of civil society, think tanks, print and electronic media, members of the Pakistani community, Azerbaijani intellectuals and students.
Messages from Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar were read during the event.
In her address, Sara Ijaz, chargé d’affaires at the Pakistani Embassy in Baku, reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. She also raised concerns over the human rights situation in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, particularly following India’s revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A of its Constitution on August 5, 2019.
Ijaz cited alleged arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, restrictions on media and communications, and measures that Pakistan says could alter the territory’s demographic composition.
She described Jammu and Kashmir as an internationally recognized dispute and argued that unilateral actions cannot change its status or diminish the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination. She referred to relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law.
Ijaz also expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan’s continued support for Pakistan’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.
The event included a photo exhibition depicting the human rights situation in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Members of the Pakistani community, Azerbaijani intellectuals, students and other attendees also expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people.
Jammu and Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since the partition of British India in 1947. Both countries administer parts of the territory and claim it in full, while the dispute has remained a longstanding issue in their bilateral relations.
