It seems that Pakistan’s Foreign Office Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication Division has forgotten to celebrate the death anniversary of Burhan Wani — a Kashmiri commander who was killed by the Indian forces in July 2016.
After Wani’s death, then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had called a cabinet meeting in Lahore wherein it was decided to observe black day on July 8 every year to commemorate the Kashmiri freedom fighter. In 2016, July 19 was celebrated as black day, however.
But today — the martyrdom anniversary of Wani — the FO is busy with arranging musical events instead of marking the black day as agreed in July 2016. There has been no statement by the foreign ministry so far, whereas Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted about it at 2pm and that too in Urdu. Usually, such messages are released by midnight in English for wider reach.
In his tweet, the minister lauded Burhan Wani’s bravery for standing up against Indian occupation. “The whole Pakistani nation pays tribute to Burhan Wani Shaheed today.”
He further added, “India should know that the freedom struggle of the people of Kashmir cannot be suppressed by state terrorism, cruelty and armed forces. It will only lead to more young boys like Burhan Wani standing up.”
Foreign Office’s statement
At 3:20pm, the foreign office issued a statement to pay tribute to Wani, The statement read, “On the fifth martyrdom anniversary of prominent Kashmiri youth leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani, we pay tribute to his selfless contribution to the just struggle for right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people, and through him to the oppressed people of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
“Burhan Wani, through his sacrifice, has come to rightly symbolize the indigenous Kashmiri struggle against the illegal Indian occupation. Since his martyrdom in 2016, hundreds of Kashmiri youth have lost their lives at the hands of Indian occupation forces in IIOJK,” it further read.
“Despite violating every single right of the Kashmiri people, India has, to this day, failed to subjugate the Kashmiris and break their will in their just struggle.
On its part, Pakistan will continue to stand by the Kashmiris till the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
This day should also serve as a reminder to India to end its egregious human rights violations in IIOJK, and take concrete steps towards the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per the UNSC resolutions. We also call upon the international community to play its due role in this regard.”
WHO WAS WANI:
Burhan Wani was the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen who was killed in a clash with the Indian forces on July 8, 2016.
Wani’s killing had sparked months of anti-India protests and clashes, during which more than 120 protesters were shot dead and thousands were injured and arrested. More than 1,000 people were blinded in one or both eyes by metal pellets fired by Indian forces into protesting crowds. Burhan’s funeral was believed to have been the biggest in recent history, with estimates ranging between 100,000 and 200,000 paying their respects.
