MUZAFFARABAD: Grand rallies were held in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, today to mark “Right to Self-Determination Day,” organized by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Jammu and Kashmir (APHC-AJK) chapter.
The main rally took place in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with leaders from APHC-AJK, various political parties, workers, lawyers, students, and members of the public in attendance. APHC-AJK Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, along with other leaders, led the rally, which saw significant participation from women and students.
The participants carried banners and placards with slogans such as “Kashmiris reject India’s usurping occupation,” “We will continue to uphold our right to self-determination,” “India can never suppress the Kashmiri movement through atrocities,” and “UN should implement its resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.” They raised their voices against Indian atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and in favor of the region’s freedom from Indian occupation.
Addressing the rally, Ghulam Muhammad Safi and other speakers highlighted the immense sacrifices Kashmiris are making for freedom from Indian occupation and their right to self-determination. They emphasized that their struggle would continue until the mission of the martyrs is fulfilled.
The speakers also pointed out that India’s stubbornness remains the main obstacle to the implementation of UN resolutions. They criticized India for attempting to suppress the Kashmiri movement through military force, rather than fulfilling its promises to the Kashmiris.
They reminded the participants that Jammu and Kashmir is the oldest unresolved dispute on the agenda of the United Nations, and that the international community considers the region a disputed territory. Therefore, India cannot change Kashmir’s controversial status through illegal actions.
The speakers also raised concerns over the non-implementation of UN resolutions, which they called a serious question mark on the existence of the international organization. Despite India’s conspiracies and atrocities, they declared that the spirit of the Kashmiris remains strong, and they would never bow to India.
The speakers expressed gratitude to Pakistan for providing full political, diplomatic, and moral support to the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir. They reaffirmed that the sacrifices of the martyrs would eventually lead to the liberation of Jammu and Kashmir from Indian rule, with the region becoming a part of Pakistan.
The rally was also addressed by Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Chaudhry Lateef Akbar, Shah Ghulam Qadir, Pir Mazhar, Mehr-un-Nisa, Razzaq Khan, Shaukat Javed Mir, Daniyal Shahab, Sheikh Aqeel-ur-Rehman, Musa Kashmiri, Asif Makhdoomi, Uzair Ghazali, Saqib Majeed, and Mehnaz Qureshi.
Meanwhile, a rally in Mirpur began at Dolphin Chowk and ended at Shaheed Chowk, with hundreds of citizens participating. The rally was led by Hurriyat leader and Vice Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Pir Panjal Freedom Movement, Qazi Imran, and other leaders. Syed Yousuf Naseem, former convener of the APHC Azad Kashmir chapter, was the special guest.
Hurriyat leaders Shamim Shawl, Bilqis Raja, Shaukat Butt, Bashir Ahmed Shago, Abdul Rashid Butt, and Sardar Haji Muhammad Arif were among those who participated in the rally.
The participants carried placards with slogans such as “We have a right to a referendum,” “The United Nations should fulfill its promise,” “India should withdraw its troops from occupied Kashmir,” and “Indian occupation is unacceptable.”
Speakers in Mirpur also called out India’s stubbornness, the failure of the United Nations, and the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people. They demanded that the United Nations implement its resolution of January 5, 1949, and reaffirmed that Kashmiris would never accept any solution to the dispute contrary to their wishes.
