Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control as well as rest of the world on Wednesday observed the Indian Republic Day as ‘black day’. Protest demonstrations were staged all over Jammu and Kashmir, including the main rally organized under the aegis of Pasban-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir in the capital of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK). A large number of citizens carrying banners and placards inscribed with anti-India slogans, and waving black flags, participated in the protest. The rally started from the Burhan Wani Chowk and culminated at the Afzal Shaheed Chowk amid chants of slogans condemning Indian occupation of the valley and brutalities of its forces against the Kashmiris. Pasban-e-Hurriyat Chairman Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, AJK Minister for Local Government Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Member of AJK Legislative Assembly Pir Mazhar Shah, Secretary Kashmir Cell Ejaz Lone, Director Kashmir Cultural Board Irfan Ashraf, Raja Sajjad Latif Khan, Muhammad Aslam Khan, Latif Abbasi and others led the rally. Addressing the rally, the speakers said India tried to cover up its crimes by the Republic Day celebrations. The whole world, however, knew that India had forcefully annexed the occupied state of Jammu and Kashmir and usurped the democratic rights of its people, they maintained. They said under the guise of democracy, India had committed the worst conspiracies to wipe out the Kashmiri people from the face of the earth. Today, all the minorities were victims of Indian state terrorism. The speakers reiterated that the time was not far when the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir would be free from Indian brutalities. They appealed to the peace loving nations and forums around the world to play their part in liberation of the Kashmiri people from Indian occupation. They also appealed to the United Nations Security Council to give the people of Kashmir the right to self-determination to decide their future while preventing Indian atrocities in the region. Meanwhile, a big anti-India rally was brought out by the people belonging to all walks of life, including government servants, lawyers, social and political workers students and other elders of the civil society was taken out from the District Courts premises in Mirpur. Deputy Commissioner Mirpur Dr Ommar Azam, Assistant Commissioner Muneer Qureshi, President of Anjuman-e-Tajraan Raja Khalid Mahmood Khan, Muslim Conference’s local activist Shakoor Mughal, Divisional Information Officer Javed Malik and others led the rally. The participants of the rally were wearing black armbands, besides holding black flags. Addressing the rally at Shaheed Chowk, the speakers including Deputy Commissioner Dr Ommar Azam and others called upon the international community, especially the United Nations, to take immediate action against the increased reign of state terrorism and violence unleashed by the Indian occupational forces against innocent people in IIOJK.