In a move that could further irritate India, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan will observe a “black day” on Tuesday, July 19, to highlight the recent eruption of violence in Kashmir which killed at least 34 people.
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SRINAGAR, India (AP) – Widespread anti-India protests and clashes erupted in dozens of places in divided Kashmir, even as authorities prevented tens of thousands of people from offering Friday prayers in big mosques with a lockdown in place for a seventh straight day. The demonstrators also burnt the Indian flag and the effigy of Indian Army Chief and raised high-pitched anti-India and pro-freedom slogans.
In her statement, Lodhi, besides raising the Kashmir issue, mentioned the “extra-judicial” killing of Wani, whom she described as a “Kashmiri leader”, by Indian forces.
Hafiz Saeed, designated a terrorist by the United States with a $10 million bounty on his head, also said he will lead nationwide demonstrations in Pakistan to force its government to sever ties with the United States if it can not convince Washington to intervene in the decades old Kashmir dispute.
On this occasion, the Pakistan Prime Minister also directed all the relevant departments to highlight the Kashmir issue at global fora.
India’s permanent representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, took to the microphone hours after his Pakistani counterpart, Maleeha Lodhi, had said a “UN resolution was the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue”.
Separatist politicians extended call for protests and a shutdown of the region for the next three days.
In his statement, Akbaruddin said it is regrettable that Pakistan attempted to “misuse” the United Nations platform for defending actions by terrorists.
In New Delhi, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup asked Pakistan to desist from interfering in India’s internal affairs and destabilizing the situation.
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Lodhi said the situation in Kashmir should be of grave concern to the worldwide community as it poses a threat to peace and security and called the use of excessive force against civilians “exceedingly deplorable and condemnable”.
