Every year, July 19 is observed by Kashmiris as Accession to Pakistan Day, commemorating the historic resolution adopted by the All Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference in Srinagar on July 19, 1947. Through this resolution, the party expressed its support for the accession of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan, nearly a month before Pakistan formally emerged as an independent state on August 14, 1947. The resolution was moved by prominent Kashmiri leaders Khawaja Ghulam-ud-Din Wani and Abdul Rahim Wani during an emergency session of the Muslim Conference. It reflected the political aspirations of a significant section of the Muslim population, which viewed Pakistan as the natural destination of the state owing to religious affinity, geographical proximity, economic interdependence and longstanding historical ties. For centuries, Jammu & Kashmir maintained close commercial, cultural and social relations with the regions that now constitute Pakistan. Shared religious traditions, linguistic and ethnic affinities, migration, intermarriages and economic exchanges strengthened these bonds. Geographically, virtually all major road, trade and communication routes connecting Jammu & Kashmir to the outside world passed through areas that became part of Pakistan after Partition.

Supporters of Pakistan’s position argue that the June 3, 1947 Partition Plan and the principle of geographical contiguity favoured Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan,........

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