Thousands Rally in Islamabad for Kashmir as India Marks Independence Day

Thousands rallied in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on August 15 to mark India’s Independence Day as a “Black Day” as an expression of solidarity with Kashmir after India revoked special status for the part of the disputed region it controls.

India also imposed a security lockdown and communications blackout in Kashmir, making it difficult for journalists to report on what was happening on the ground.

Pakistan’s ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of subscribing to neo-Nazi ideology and of seeking to install a Hindu majority in the Muslim-majority Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday drew parallels to the Bosnian War of the 1990s, tweeting: “Will the world silently observe the genocide of Muslims in occupied Kashmir and another massacre like Srebrenica?”

In an Independence Day speech the same day, Modi defended his decision on Kashmir, saying its semi-autonomous status had fueled a separatist movement, according to the Associated Press.

This footage shows scenes of people participating in a Black Day march in Islamabad. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful