Pakistan provokes India, to observe black day on July 19 over Kashmir

In what will be seen as a provocation in India, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced that his country will observe July 19 as black day against Kashmir killings, several media outlets reported on Friday.

New Delhi: In what is a clear provocation, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced that his country will observe July 19 as black day against death of civilians in Kashmir, the Pakistani media reported on Friday.

The decision to observe July 19 as black day to express complete solidarity with Kashmiris was taken at a special meeting of the Pakistani Cabinet, The News International reported.

Speaking at the Special Cabinet meeting held at the Governor House in Lahore, Sharif said Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris.

It was also decided at the meeting that a joint session of Pakistani Parliament would be convened to to discuss the situation in Kashmir.

The announcement by Nawaz Sharif comes just days after he called for a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir, which he described as "occupied".  

Speaking in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter in Anantnag, Sharif had said that the plebiscite should be held so that the people of Jammu and Kashmir can decide whether they wanted to be with India or align with Pakistan.

While voicing "concern and deep sorrow" over the killing of Burhan Wani, Sharif had said the "massacre of citizens by Indian forces and use of brutal force against Kashmir is regrettable".

He was referring to the death of people in Kashmir in clashes with security forces, post Wani's killing.

"Unarmed Kashmiris cannot be deterred from their rightful struggle for self determination at gunpoint" and that the right to self determination was justified by UN resolutions, Sharif had said.

At today's meeting, Sharif also declared the slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani as a "martyr".

"The Prime Minister termed Burhan Wani as martyr of independence movement," Radio Pakistan reported.