78 Years of Oppression Kashmir Black Day, October 27, 2025 (2025-22)

The observance of Kashmir Black Day serves as a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in South Asian history. On 27 October 1947, Indian forces landed in Jammu and Kashmir, igniting a conflict that continues to this day. That moment marked the beginning of a prolonged occupation, one that has deprived generations of Kashmiris of their inalienable right to self-determination. For seventy-eight years, the Kashmiri people have endured repression, dispossession, and the erosion of their political and cultural identity, yet their resolve remains unbroken. The commemoration of this day is not merely about recalling the past; it underscores the urgent need for a just resolution to a conflict that has festered for decades and remains a threat to regional and international peace.

The international community recognized early on that the future of Jammu and Kashmir could not be decided unilaterally. Between 1948 and 1957, the United Nations Security Council adopted a series of resolutions affirming that the territory's status must be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under UN auspices. Resolution 47 of April 1948 laid the foundation by calling for a ceasefire, withdrawal of forces, and a plebiscite to ascertain the will of the people. Subsequent resolutions reinforced this principle, making clear that the right to self-determination was central to resolving the conflict. However, despite these international commitments, successive Indian governments have evaded their obligations, insisting instead on unilateral solutions that contravene both international law and the spirit of multilateralism.

The human dimension of the Kashmir Conflict is perhaps its most poignant aspect. Independent observers, including the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, have documented grave and consistent violations in the region. Reports speak of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, and systemic suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. For decades, Indian Illegally occupies Jammu & Kashmir has been among the most militarized regions in the world, with nearly half a million troops stationed there. This massive security presence has turned everyday life into a cycle of fear and deprivation for ordinary Kashmiris. Yet despite such overwhelming pressure, the people of Kashmir have continued their struggle with remarkable courage, keeping alive their demand for dignity and self-determination.

The trajectory of the conflict changed significantly on 5 August 2019, when the Government of India unilaterally revoked Articles 370 and 35A of its Constitution, stripping IIOJK of the limited autonomy it had retained. This move was accompanied by a sweeping lockdown, unprecedented communication blackouts and mass arrests of political leaders, activists, and youth. Since then, India has pursued an accelerated program of demographic and political engineering in the region. This includes gerrymandering of electoral constituencies, granting of domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris, manipulation of voter rolls, and changes to property laws designed to settle outsiders in the region. Such measures are in clear violation of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from altering the demographic composition of occupied territory. Scholars and human rights organizations alike have characterized these actions as attempts to transform Kashmiris into a politically disempowered minority in their own homeland.

The consequences of these developments extend far beyond the region itself. The Kashmir Conflict has long been a flashpoint in South Asia, and its unresolved status poses a continuing risk to international security. Pakistan has consistently maintained that durable peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without a fair resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Conflict in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan has extended diplomatic, political, and moral support to the Kashmiri cause since 1947, repeatedly raising the issue at the United Nations General Assembly and other international forums. Its position remains that dialogue, grounded in international law and multilateral commitments, is the only viable path to a peaceful settlement. However, India's insistence on treating Kashmir as an internal matter, despite its recognized international status, has prevented substantive progress.

The sacrifices of the Kashmiri people remain central to this narrative. Over the past seven decades alone, thousands of men, women, and children have lost their lives, and countless families have suffered displacement, trauma, and loss. Political leaders remain incarcerated, civil society is silenced, and media access is heavily restricted. Yet the people's resilience testifies to the depth of their conviction. Successive generations of Kashmiris have carried forward the struggle, refusing to relinquish their demand for self-determination despite overwhelming odds. Their resistance underscores the reality that no amount of force can extinguish the quest for freedom and dignity.

The international community cannot turn a blind eye to this prolonged human tragedy. The Kashmir Conflict is not an internal issue; it is a matter that the United Nations has formally recognized as requiring international mediation. There exists a legal obligation to implement the Security Council's resolutions, a moral duty to alleviate the suffering of millions of Kashmiris, and a strategic imperative to prevent conflict between two nuclear-armed states. Ignoring Kashmiris is not only a betrayal of promises made in the mid-twentieth century; it is a dangerous gamble with the stability of South Asia and beyond. The longer the conflict remains unresolved, the greater the potential for radicalization, instability, and humanitarian crises that could reverberate well beyond the region.

Marking 27 October as Kashmir Black Day is therefore both an act of remembrance and a call to action. It honors the courage and sacrifices of the Kashmiri people, who have faced repression with dignity and determination. It reminds the world of unfulfilled promises made by the international community, and it reaffirms Pakistan's solidarity with its Kashmiri brethren. Most importantly, it is a message that the struggle for justice cannot be silenced, and that peace in South Asia will remain elusive until the people of Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to decide their own future through a free and impartial plebiscite. The international community must play its part by holding India accountable for its human rights violations, demanding the reversal of unilateral measures taken in August 2019, and supporting practical steps toward the realization of the Kashmiri right to self-determination. Only then can the suffering of millions be alleviated, and only then can a durable and just peace take root in South Asia.

On the eve of 78 Years of Oppression, Kashmir Black Day, Pakistan Post is issuing the Commemorative Postage Stamp of Rs.30/- denomination on October 27th, 2025.