The Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) organised a vigil in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, in order to express solidarity with oppressed people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Despite heavy rain and unpleasant weather, a large number of people from all walks of life as well as representatives of different NGOs including members of human rights organizations attended the event. People from different segments of the society appeared during this programme and stood for hours by holding lighting candles in their hand to express solidarity and sympathy with the oppressed people of Kashmir. On the occasion, the Chairman of KCEU, Ali Raza Syed, said, the situation in occupied Kashmir became further severe as India revoked special status of Kashmir in August, last year. India imposed a siege in the occupied territory which still continued, he added. He condemned the atrocities and genocide of Kashmiris committed by Indian forces and paid rich tributes to the brave people of Kashmir engaged in a heroic struggle to secure their right to self-determination. The KCEU Chairman said, “We will continue our support to the people of Kashmir till settlement of the Kashmir dispute. People of Kashmir are struggling peacefully for right to self-determination and there should be plebiscite under supervision of the United Nations to decide political fate of the disputed territory.” Other speakers also pointed out that deployment of over eight lakh Indian troops in occupied Kashmir is a proof of brutal occupation as large scale human rights violations are being committed by the Indian forces’ personnel. Indian authorities are engaged to suppress the peaceful mass movement by use of force and brutalities especially massacre of the innocent Kashmiris, they said. They demanded that the UN and the EU should play role in peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute. The speakers also urged the human rights organizations to put pressure on India to stop human rights violations in the territory. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Embassy in Tehran arranged a ceremony on Wednesday to show solidarity with the innocent Kashmiris of the Indian Occupied Kashmir who were subjected to worst kind of brutalities by Indian forces and denied their right to self-determination. Messages of the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan were read out to the audience comprising Iranian scholars, academicians, intellectuals, media persons, members of Pakistani community, Pakistani and Iranian students. Charge de Affaires Syed Muhammad Fawad Sher, in his speech, paid homage to the sacrifices of the valiant Kashmiris and said that the recent brutal use of force and continued lockdown of Kashmir by the Indian forces has failed to suppress the indigenous struggle of the Kashmiri people aspiring for their right to self-determination. Referring to the recent brutalities and atrocities being committed by India against the Kashmiri people, Fawad Sher said that the Modi government has endangered the peace of the region and the entire world by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which protected the identity and Kashmiriat of all the Kashmiris in India. The continued lockdown and crackdown against peaceful Kashmiris, including youth and children by the Indian forces is an attempt to subjugate and suppress them, but widespread protests and demonstrations are a testimony to the indigenous nature of the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiri people, he said. Syed Fawad Sher thanked the Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei and the present Government for supporting the cause of the Kashmiri Muslims and condemning the recent Indian atrocities in IOK. Students from Urdu Department, Tehran University and Pakistan Embassy International School & College, in their speeches, condemned the atrocities and human right violations being committed by Indian forces against the peaceful Kashmiris in IOK. Poet Ahmed Shehryar also recited his poetry on the sufferings of Kashmiri Muslims. A documentary on Kashmir was also screened on the occasion while English and Farsi newspapers published special article on the day. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul remained successful on Wednesday in holding the Kashmir Solidarity Day event despite obstacles being created from the Afghan authorities. According to sources, a large number of guests attended the event held inside Pakistan’s Embassy in the Afghan capital. Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) ambassador to Afghanistan was the chief guest of the event. The Afghan authorities created hurdles for the guests to enter the embassy premises from the main gate as it made heavy deployment of security personnel outside the embassy premises. On Tuesday, diplomatic sources have revealed that Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul has been stopped from observing Kashmir Solidarity Day scheduled to take place on February 5. An event scheduled to be held at the Intercontinental hotel, Afghanistan tomorrow has been called off. Hotel management has alleged that the Afghan Government higher-ups have instructed them to cancel the reservation of the hall. It is pertinent to mention here that prior to this during the observance of ‘Black Day’ on occasion of India’s republic day was also shrouded in controversy when Pakistani diplomats attending the event were reportedly harassed by Afghan authorities.