BRUSSELS, AUG 15 /DNA/ – A protest demonstration was held today, Friday, August 15, outside the Indian Embassy in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and also the headquarters of the European Union, on the occasion of India’s Independence Day, which Kashmiris observe as a Black Day.
The protest was organized by the Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU) and led by its Chairman, Ali Raza Syed. It is worth noting that Kashmiri people from both parts of Kashmir and their compatriots living in other regions of the world observe India’s Independence Day every year as a Black Day in protest.
Today’s demonstration in Brussels was attended by Kashmiris, Pakistanis, as well as representatives and prominent figures from other communities and political and social organizations sympathetic to the Kashmiri cause.
Among the notable participants were KCEU’s Chair Ali Raza Syed, Sardar Sadiq, Chaudhry Khalid Joshi, Rao Mustajab, Dr. Manzoor Zahoor, Malik Ajmal, Sheraz Butt, Raja Khalid, Ghiasuddin Bhatti, Syed Aslam Shah, Raja Abdul Qayyum, Shazia Aslam, and Mehr Nadeem.
The protesters carried placards and banners with slogans in support of Kashmiris and against Indian atrocities. They also held up pictures of detained Hurriyat leaders Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, and internationally renowned human rights activist Khurram Parvez, demanding their release along with all other Kashmiri prisoners.
Speaking on the occasion, Ali Raza Syed, Chairman of the Kashmir Council Europe, said: “We are protesting because India has crossed all limits of oppression against Kashmiris. India has been illegally occupying a large part of Kashmir for decades. Especially in recent years, Indian state terrorism has increased in occupied Kashmir, subjecting the oppressed Kashmiris to immense hardships. Prominent political leaders and human rights activists are imprisoned or detained. India is committing large-scale genocide against Kashmiris, with extrajudicial killings of youth. India is trying to erase the Kashmiri identity by altering the demographic balance in the occupied valley.”
Other speakers also demanded an end to Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and a just resolution to the Kashmir issue. They appealed to the international community to play its role in stopping the oppression in the Indian Illegally occupied Kashmir (IIOK) and ensuring a fair and peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute.
