By Syed Mussarat Khalil

Saudi Gazette.

JEDDAH — The Consulate General of Pakistan organized an on Aug. 5 to observe Youme-Estehsaal-e-Kashmir. Prominent members of the Pakistani Kashmiri community, representatives of the ethnic and Arab media attended the event.

The event started with reading out of special messages of the President, The Prime Minister of and Foreign Minister of Pakistan. Key speakers included former Saudi Defense Attaché to Pakistan Abdullah Al Ghamdi, Brig. Gen. Retd. Mohammad Hassan Kamili, Chairman Kashmir Committee Masood Puri, Chairman J&K Overseas Community Ch. Khurshid Matial and Dr. Rasikh Al Kashmiri besides the Consul General.

In addition, recorded messages by former Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Ali Awadh Aseeri and Saudi veteran diplomat and scholar Dr. Ali Al Ghamdi were displayed to the audience.

The speakers highlighted the significance of the day; condemned the brutalities of the Indian occupying forces in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) particularly post Aug. 5, 2019; paid homage to the sacrifices of Kashmiris against the Indian oppression; underlined that Pakistan will never withdraw from its principled stance on the IIOJK; and reiterated moral, political, and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for the right to self-determination, as promised to them by the international community through successive UN Security Council resolutions. The speakers also acknowledged and lauded consistent support to the Kashmir cause by the Saudi government and the OIC.

A brief documentary on the current situation in IIOJK was screened. A new book on Kashmir in Arabic titled: Kashmir: Haqaiq wa Arqam and an Arabic website PAKISTAN AL-YAUOM (https://yauom.com) by Dr. Rasikh Al-Kashmiri, a renowned Pakistani research scholar based in Madinah, were also launched. The event concluded with collective prayer for the success of Kashmiris’ struggle for their legitimate right to self- determination.