TEHRAN -- A function was held at the Embassy of Pakistan here on Monday on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day marking the 61st anniversary of the Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Pakistan, Mr. M.B. Abbasi highlighted the suppression of the Kashmiri people at the hands of the Indian occupation forces and stated that over the past 19 years nearly 100,000 Kashmiri men, women and children have laid down their lives for the cause of freedom. Reiterating the need for finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute, the Ambassador said that Pakistan had taken several initiatives for its peaceful resolution. He said Pakistan would continue to stand with the Kashmiri people in their just struggle to achieve their right of self-determination. The Ambassador appreciated the sentiments of the Iranian intellectuals towards the struggle of the Kashmiri people and observed that they were not alone and enjoyed the support of the entire Muslim world. He also thanked the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran for their support to the just struggle of the Kashmiri people. A durable peace in the region can only be established by resolving the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir, the Ambassador added.
Renowned Iranian scholars, Dr. Mohammad Baghai Makan, Dr. Abdul Rafi Haqiqat and senior Journalist Hamid Golpira also spoke about the cultural links between Iran and Kashmir highlighting the historical background of the Kashmir dispute. They called on the international community to put pressure on the Indian government to give the Kashmiri people their right of self-determination. Veteran Iranian journalist and famous poet Mr. Nasir Yamin Mardookhi Kordastani recited a poem focusing on the sufferings of the Kashmiri people at the hands of the Indian occupation forces.
Speaking to representatives of Iranian print and electronic media on the sidelines of the function, the Ambassador commented on various aspects of Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations highlighting efforts of the present government in combating terrorism.
The function was attended by a number of Iranian academicians, scholars, intellectuals, leading journalists and members of the Pakistani community