UKPNP urges Pakistan to withdraw its forces from Gilgit-Baltistan

Observing a "Black Day" today, the United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP) urged Pakistan to hold peaceful talks with India and withdraw its forces from Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and occupied Kashmir.

"Today is a very important day in the history of Kashmir as on 22 October 1947, Pakistan had sent its armed forces and Kabailis into Kashmir and had violated the standstill agreement. This day today is observed as black day," UKNP leader Zamil Masood told ANI.

"Today, our party, the United Kashmir People's National Party, its UK branch, Europe and all Kashmiris from Pakistan demand that Pakistan remove its forces from Gilgit-Baltistan and from Azad Kashmir and should hold peaceful table talks with India. They should take the initiative by ending the proxy war and speed up efforts to for the resolution of the Kashmir issue, because, a proxy war or any other kind of war is not the solution", he added.

Masood said that it is the 21st century and Pakistan should give rights to people and keeping their problems in mind, and should hold peaceful talks with India.

People in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) today are observing October 22 as a "Black Day" as it was on this day in 1947 that Pakistani Army disguised as tribal invaders had attacked the Princely undivided State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmiris across POK are observing the day by demanding the immediate withdrawal of Pakistani forces from their territory.

Echoing similar sentiments, another UKPNP leader, Aftab Khan said that they demand the international community especially, civil society of the region to use their influence on government of Pakistan to withdraw their armed forces from forcefully occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

"Pakistan is using so called Azad Kashmir for its strategic interest in Kashmir and it has barned fundamental human rights in its periphery like Gilgit- Baltistan. With regards and respect to this day, we demand international community specially civil society of the retgion To use their influence on government of Pakistan to withdraw their armed forces, their intelligence agency network, and their non state actors stationing and getting training in so called Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan so that peace and prosperity can prevail in state of Jammu And Kashmir, " Khan said.

Another UKPNP leader Nazir Aziz Khan said that in compliance with the UN resolutions, it's the prime responsibility of Pakistan to withdrew its forces from all territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir which it is illegally occupying.

"We have been listening that Pakistan asking India to comply with UN resolution on Kashmir, but according to the UN resolutions on Kashmir, it is the prime responsibility of Pakistan to vacate all territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir which it illegally occupied after the invasion of 22nd October 1947," he said.