Opinion | Pakistan’s So Called Kashmir Solidarity Day

Pakistan now pretends to mourn the very suffering it engineered.

Every year on the fifth of February Pakistan observes what it calls Kashmir Solidarity Day. On this day streets are shut slogans are raised and emotional speeches are delivered claiming support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However for the people who have actually lived through decades of violence bloodshed and instability this day does not represent solidarity. Instead it stands as a painful reminder of the role Pakistan has played in turning a peaceful region into a conflict zone through sustained interference terrorism and proxy war.

If solidarity is judged by intent and action then Pakistan’s claim collapses under the weight of its own history.For decades Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and inseparable part of India has suffered because Pakistan chose the path of confrontation instead of cooperation. The turmoil that erupted in the late nineteen eighties was not a spontaneous movement of the local population but the result of a calculated policy of exporting militancy across the border. Arms training camps infiltration routes and radical propaganda were systematically used to destabilize the region. The consequences were devastating. Thousands of innocent civilians lost their lives families were shattered and normal life came to a standstill.

Pakistan now pretends to mourn the very suffering it engineered. The most disturbing aspect of Pakistan’s Kashmir narrative is the way Kashmiris have been used as expendable pawns. Young minds were misled with false promises of glory and liberation and pushed into the cycle of violence. Many of them lost their lives while others spent their youth behind bars or in exile. The planners and sponsors of this violence however remained safely across the border enjoying power and privilege. One cannot speak of Kashmir without acknowledging the tragic exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Thousands of families were forced to flee their ancestral homes due to targeted killings threats and fear. This humanitarian tragedy tore apart the centuries old pluralistic fabric of Kashmir. Pakistan’s so called solidarity day never acknowledges this suffering. The victims are erased from its narrative because they do not fit into its selective version of events.

A narrative that ignores certain victims is not a human rights narrative but a political script. Pakistan frequently raises the issue of human rights in Indian Kashmir while turning a blind eye to its own internal realities. Voices of dissent in its own territory are routinely silenced. Journalists activists and political opponents face intimidation and persecution. Regions under Pakistan’s control continue to complain of political marginalization and denial of basic rights. A state that struggles to uphold democratic values within its own borders lacks moral credibility to lecture the world on justice and freedom.India on the other hand despite facing extraordinary challenges has consistently worked to restore peace stability and development in Jammu and Kashmir. The region has witnessed significant improvements in infrastructure connectivity healthcare education and governance. Roads tunnels schools and hospitals are changing the everyday lives of people. Tourism is reviving local entrepreneurship is growing and democratic processes are being strengthened at the grassroots level.

The youth of Kashmir today increasingly speak about careers innovation sports and education rather than endless conflict. This shift reflects a growing desire for normalcy and progress which India is facilitating through policy inclusion and development oriented governance.Pakistan’s obsession with Kashmir also serves another purpose. It acts as a convenient distraction from its own internal crises. Economic instability inflation unemployment political chaos and governance failures are pushed aside by invoking Kashmir as an emotional rallying point. The suffering of Kashmiris is repeatedly used to divert public attention and manufacture nationalistic sentiment.This approach has brought neither peace to Kashmir nor stability to Pakistan.

Kashmir does not need annual shutdowns sponsored slogans or symbolic gestures from across the border. The people of Kashmir need peace security education dignity and opportunity. They need schools instead of weapons hospitals instead of hate and jobs instead of jihadist propaganda. Above all they need freedom from externally sponsored violence that has haunted the region for decades. The fifth of February therefore is not a day of solidarity for Kashmir. It is a reminder of a failed and destructive policy that has cost countless lives. It symbolizes hypocrisy where loud claims of concern are contradicted by a long record of interference and bloodshed. True solidarity with Kashmir would mean respecting its identity as part of India ending support to terrorism and allowing the region to move forward in peace. Until that happens Pakistan’s Kashmir Solidarity Day will remain nothing more than political theatre devoid of genuine compassion.

Syed Jahanzeeb is an independent and incisive writer known for his strong commentary on national security, sovereignty, and public policy, with a special focus on Jammu and Kashmir. He advocates peace, constitutional values, and development-led stability, and can be reached at syedjahanzeeb2@gmail.com.