Kashmir Solidarity Day 2024: UKPNP to protest in London against denial of basic rights to citizens of POJK by Pakistan

The United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP) in solidarity with the Joint Awami Action Committee (AAC) will hold a protest outside and in front of the Pakistan High Commission in London on February 5, 2024 to counter the Kashmir Solidarity Day observed by Pakistan. The demonstrations will raise th demand of the people of thr Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) on an international level.

Nazir Aziz Khan, the spokesperson of the UKPNP said that the “protests on February 5, 2024 will be an effort of the UKPNP and the AAC to call upon the Pakistani regime for the atrocities that they are committing upon the people of POJK.” He further mentioned that February 5, 2024 which is observed as the Kashmir Solidarity Day is nothing but a political stunt by Pakistan. As the regime has been showing no solidarity with the people of POJK where people have been protesting for their basic needs such as electricity, food, and ownership of natural resources.”

Sardar Nazir Aziz Khan further said that the Pakistani regime has consistently failed to provide basic necessities to Kashmiris under its administration. “The party maintains a clear stance that Pakistan has no locus stand on POJK, it is basically an illegal occupying force and must comply with the UNCIP resolution and the truce agreement of 1948 by vacating all areas of the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir forthwith,” Khan said.

“The UKPNP demands the ownership of natural resources and self-rule in POJK and Gilgit Baltistan,” he added

Objectives of Protest

The protest aims to show solidarity and support for thr AAC and the people’s right movements in POJK and AAC in the POJK has declared a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike across the POJK on February 5, 2024.

According to the press release shared by Khan, the main demands are free electricity for the natives of POJK, subsidies on wheat and flour and ownership of all hydro projects in the so called POJK ending the privilege of elite ending unjustified load shedding of electricity and stopping inflation and unemployment.

“The UKPNP stands in solidarity with the demands of the AAC and urges Pakistan to immediately fulfill all demands. The primary goal of the protests is to showcase the ground situation to the international community, highlighting that the people living in POJK and Gilgit Baltistan are denied basic food and fundamental rights,” the statement added.

Pakistan’s Political Stance

The UKPNP believes that Pakistan’s observance of the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5, 2024 as a solidarity day with the people of Jammu and Kashmir is nothing but a mere political stance as it has not provided all basic human rights and facilities to the people under its administration. It has also raised these issues with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) and will continue to highlight them during the forthcoming session.

Previously, the Awami Action Committee had rejected the ongoing notification regarding the wheat subsidy and called it vague. The committee also announced that they will continue to hold a sit-in in Pakistan. On the fourth day of the sit-in, thousands of people held a protest at Ittihad Chowk. The AAC Chief Commander Ehssan Ali Advocate in his speech said that no negotiations have been held with the AAC and the shown notification is a fraud.